The Office of Research Operations is the focal point for the Institute's space and facility matters, advising the NIAID Director and the Deputy Director for Science Management on matters concerning NIAID-occupied space and facilities.
ORO was created in late July 2006 to better address changes in staffing levels throughout the Institute. Since that time, the organization has grown to a small cadre of federal staff, supported by contracted technical experts, and carries out a wide array of functions. Judy Quasney, NIAID Division of Intramural Research, and Theresa Shrader, NIAID Division of Extramural Activities, have been asked by the Deputy Director for Science Management to aid in guiding and overseeing the activities of ORO.
NIAID space resources are managed by means of a central space database developed by ORO. This inventory catalogs over 1 million net square feet of NIAID space located in approximately 60 buildings on five campuses in Maryland and Montana. The database defines the type, allocation, and use of space within the NIAID portfolio. This information is used to enhance program planning, space tracking, and cost monitoring of NIH central facilities operations and maintenance.
ORO oversees and conducts specific facility-related technical and non-technical studies to assist NIAID leadership in strategic decision-making. Another part of ORO's functions is establishing Institute-wide policies defining management and allocation of facilities. ORO is also called upon to work with other organizations, both domestic and international, to solve technical, managerial, and implementation challenges of laboratory delivery and operations.
Central NIH facility organizations work in partnership with ORO to accomplish renovations and new construction projects both in federal and leased buildings. ORO provides federal and contracted facility professionals with input on various technical topics regarding high-reliability facilities such as laboratories, vivaria, and data centers. In addition, ORO also aids NIAID Divisions in optimizing the use of space, developing scenarios for changing space needs, and determining the logistics of implementing and delivering facility requirements.
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