title: A framework for biobank sustainability.
abstract: Each year funding agencies and academic institutions spend millions of dollars and euros on biobanking. All funding providers assume that after initial investments biobanks should be able to operate sustainably. However the topic of sustainability is challenging for the discipline of biobanking for several major reasons: the diversity in the biobanking landscape, the different purposes of biobanks, the fact that biobanks are dissimilar to other research infrastructures and the absence of universally understood or applicable value metrics for funders and other stakeholders. In this article our aim is to delineate a framework to allow more effective discussion and action around approaches for improving biobank sustainability. The term sustainability is often used to mean fiscally self-sustaining, but this restricted definition is not sufficient for biobanking. Instead we propose that biobank sustainability should be considered within a framework of three dimensions - financial, operational, and social. In each dimension, areas of focus or elements are identified that may allow different types of biobanks to distinguish and evaluate the relevance, likelihood, and impact of each element, as well as the risks to the biobank of failure to address them. Examples of practical solutions, tools and strategies to address biobank sustainability are also discussed.
authors.affiliation: 1 University of British Columbia Office of Biobank Education and Research , Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada .
authors.forename: Peter H
authors.initials: PH
authors.lastname: Watson
authors.forename: Sara Y
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Nussbeck
authors.forename: Candace
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Carter
authors.forename: Sheila
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: O'Donoghue
authors.forename: Stefanie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Cheah
authors.forename: Lise A M
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Matzke
authors.forename: Rebecca O
authors.initials: RO
authors.lastname: Barnes
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bartlett
authors.forename: Jane
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Carpenter
authors.forename: William E
authors.initials: WE
authors.lastname: Grizzle
authors.forename: Randal N
authors.initials: RN
authors.lastname: Johnston
authors.forename: Anne-Marie
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Mes-Masson
authors.forename: Leigh
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Murphy
authors.forename: Katherine
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sexton
authors.forename: Lois
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Shepherd
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Simeon-Dubach
authors.forename: Nikolajs
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Zeps
authors.forename: Brent
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Schacter
mesh_terms: D018070:Biological Specimen Banks / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000592:standards / Q000639:trends; D006801:Humans