From Core Facility to Collaborative Partner: Reimagining Institutional Shared Resources as CRO-Model Research Partners Enhanced by Agentic AI

Academic biomedical research institutions are confronting a converging challenge: tightening federal research budgets and growing demands for faster and more reproducible science,1 and increasing pressure to maximize value derived from every research dollar. Traditional shared resources have enabled access to sophisticated technologies and expertise as transactional, fee-for-service facilities that prioritize throughput and cost recovery over scientific outcomes. We propose a shift toward a Contract Research Organization (CRO)-inspired operating model in which shared resources function as integrated research partners, supported by agentic artificial intelligence (AI) systems that enhance project management, experimental execution, data analysis, and scientific decision-making. This Perspective outlines the limitations of the current paradigm, identifies lessons from commercial CROs, explores the opportunities for agentic AI across major research domains, and presents a roadmap for institutional implementation. We argue that institutions that embrace this transformation will be better positioned to increase productivity, improve reproducibility, accelerate discovery, and strengthen research competitiveness in an increasingly resource-constrained environment.