Administrative Core

ADMINISTRATIVE CORE: PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT The mission of the Southern California Center for Children’s Environmental Health Translational Research (SC- CCEHTR) is to leverage scientific knowledge to reduce the childhood burden of disease caused by urban air pollution, especially in environmental justice communities. The Center’s theme is Urbanism, Air Pollution, Children’s Health and Environmental Justice. The Administrative Core (AC) will support development of: (1) multidisciplinary translational teams to build an innovative framework for multidirectional engagement with communities and policymakers, and (2) model collaborations that support junior investigators and communities to use emerging children’s environmental health science (CEHS), leading to better decision-making. The AC will bring together diverse expertise to promote participatory models that will help communities use air pollution science, urban planning, and data-driven approaches to “re-imagine” a healthier neighborhood built environment that reduces air pollution exposure; and will provide an infrastructure for using novel approaches including storytelling and theatre to engage communities in this participatory planning exercise. The Center will build on existing scientific expertise from three affiliate NIEHS centers at the University of Southern California and previous work with the Moving Forward Network and NIEHS Core Centers. The AC will support the development of new collaborations with the International Society for Children’s Health and Environment and with other Children's Environmental Health Research Translation Centers. The AC will be led by the SC-CCEHTR Director and Deputy Director in consultation with other Core leadership and advisory committees. The aims of the AC are to: (1) integrate SC-CCEHTR members and external audiences through coordinated enrichment activities, including seminar series, workshops and symposia, Focus Area working groups, and yearly retreats; (2) facilitate access to SC-CCEHTR Core services and expertise; (3) engage junior investigators with outstanding ability and foster their career development in CEHS translation; (4) promote cutting-edge interdisciplinary translational research opportunities; (5) advance multidirectional engagement of communities and investigators; and (6) comprehensively evaluate the performance of all SC-CCEHTR components. The AC will provide infrastructure for pilot projects, ready response and rapid seed fund programs in the Developmental and Translation Cores and for a Developmental Core Career Development Program. The AC will coordinate evaluation of SC-CCEHTR progress, membership review, and any leadership succession to the SC-CCEHTR Director and other key leadership roles. The AC will support innovative Center multidisciplinary partnerships to empower communities to be able to evaluate policy and propose alternatives.