AMDeC

A Grassroots Approach
AMDeC’s Vendor Partnership Program grows out of its role as an organizer across institutions.  Functioning as the convener of several collaborative scientific focus groups, AMDeC is able to take the priorities of participating investigators and approach technology vendors with the unified voice of a community of experts.  This enables AMDeC to negotiate discounts on highly desired products and services, because vendors understand that the commitment to their brand is coming from the scientists who actually select, and ultimately demand, the technology.  By centering our efforts on the interests of particular areas of science, AMDeC achieves a grassroots model that puts team science first.

AMDeC’s Proven History of Success
AMDeC has a history of negotiating special discounts and arrangements for its members.  For example, one of AMDeC’s earlier collaborative scientific focus groups led to the creation of the Microarray Resource Center (MRC), a successful venture that was popular among investigators and was able to significantly reduce costs by achieving discounts and reducing technology redundancy.  The MRC also enabled AMDeC to negotiate an agreement with the preferred vendor which resulted in significant savings on a wide range of related products.

AMDeC’s Technology Access Program and RFP Process
In addition to discounts, AMDeC seeks to provide cutting-edge technology access to its members by facilitating the placement of its vendor partners’ newest instrumentation.  This is done through a newly streamlined RFP process, which now has three separate review parties:

1) AMDeC Administration
To ensure the instrument placement is accessible to other AMDeC members at reasonable times and at a reasonable price.
2) Vendor Key Decision Makers
To ensure our partners are satisfied that the placement will maximize the exposure to their instrument and platform.
3) Outside Scientific Review Board
To ensure that the selected project is of high scientific merit.

Facilitating a Unique Role
AMDeC’s program begins with its collaborative scientific focus groups.  These cross-institutional collaborations enable AMDeC to keep the pulse of changing technological demands and trends emerging in the scientific community.  They allow for greater focus and research on best practices and the selection of corresponding technology. Equally importantly, the focus groups are interested in developing protocols and standards for their unique discipline, and tend to rally around certain technologies.  This provides real market value to vendors.

For more information on AMDeC's Vendor Partnership Program, please contact William Palumbo at williamp@amdec.org or (212) 218-5632.