The Contraception Research Branch (CRB) within the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) supports research to develop compounds that can disrupt oogenesis, spermatogenesis, normal ovulation, sperm maturation and/or function affording safe and effective contraceptives that can be implemented for men and/or women. The Chemical Screening and Optimization Facility (CSOF) is designed to fulfill a unique role by identifying, optimizing, and conducting small scale production of molecular agents that achieve a contraceptive effect. The CSOF provides overall project management and the capabilities to support these objectives pursuant to development of new contraceptive methods: these include, but are not limited to, the generation of recombinant peptides and proteins, assay development, high throughput screening (HTS), x-ray crystallography, computational chemistry, medicinal chemistry, and pharmacology. Compounds identified and optimized by the CSOF will be prepared under non-Good Manufacturing Practices (non-GMP) for further preclinical evaluation. The CSOF plays a critical role in the drug development mission of the CRB.