The BITC Mission:

• Provide advanced methods for the analysis of biomolecular interactions.
• Transfer technologies through training, consultation and collaboration.
• Provide an environment in which academic and industrial researchers can interact.

Structure and Adminstration: Located at the University of New Hampshire, BITC funds research by faculty, researchers and students from UNH, the University of Utah, and other institutions. Staff at UNH provide administrative functions, including grant administration, technology transfer, contract negotiation and intellectual property licensing. Center management consists of a director, an associate director, and an administrative manager. External scientific advisers act as consultants as needed. Operations are conducted in accord with NSF guidelines.

Industrial Advisory Board: Each member organization provides a voting representative who serves on the Industrial Advisory Board (IAB). The IAB advises the director on selection of research projects, funding levels for the projects, and policies and procedures. IAB meetings are held twice a year. The winter/spring meeting features a roundtable discussion with instrument manufacturers and academic experts; at the summer/fall meeting, a two-day workshop provides the opportunity for IAB members to master new technologies.

Selection of Research Projects: The director and IAB prepare a list of research projects to submit to center scientists and external researchers as requests for proposals. Responses to the projects are discussed and ranked by the IAB. The director makes the final selection of projects to be funded. The submitting scientist is named the project supervisor and assumes the overall responsibility for managing the project.

Status Reports: The director meets periodically with each project supervisor to review the status of the project. Semi-annual reports are submitted by project supervisors and forwarded to the members of the IAB. Project presentations are given at a semi-annual meeting. An annual report summarizing center activities is prepared for the IAB by the director.