Administrative Core

ADMINISTRATIVE CORE: ABSTRACT The Maternal and Reproductive Community Health Excellence (MaRCH) Center of Biomedical Research Excellence (COBRE) Administrative Core will provide leadership and ensure successful integration, coordination, and sustainability across all MaRCH COBRE activities, stakeholders, committees, cores, mentors, Research Project Leaders (RPLs), and Pilot Project Investigators (PPIs). Our specific aims are: Aim 1: Provide Structural, Administrative, Scientific, Fiscal, and Communication Leadership across the MaRCH COBRE. The MaRCH COBRE will have an executive committee, an Advisory Committee (AC), and a Stakeholder Advisory Board (SAB). The MaRCH COBRE is led by multiple principal investigators, Pearl McElfish, PhD (PI), who will direct the Administrative Core. Mario Schootman, PhD, and James Selig, PhD will serve as key personnel in the Administrative Core. Lisa Smith, MBA, will serve as the lead staff member and Senior Project Manager/Administrative Director of the Administrative Core. The evaluation will be led by Brett Rowland, MA. Aim 2: Implement a Rigorous Faculty Development Program for Junior Faculty to Accelerate Their Transition to and Attainment of Independent Investigator Status Focused on Impactful Maternal and Reproductive Health Research. The faculty development program will include 1) grants for RPLs and PPIs, 2) a formal mentoring program, 3) a training program, and 4) biostatistics and research methods navigation and support, with the goal of transitioning to independent investigator status through R01 or equivalent funding. The MaRCH COBRE will support well-designed, high-impact research in maternal and reproductive health through research projects and pilot projects that are responsive to the needs and context of rural areas with the goal of ensuring the junior investigator’s transition to independent investigator status as evidenced by R01 or equivalent funding. Research projects will be funded up to $150,000 a year and renewable for up to 3 years. There will be an option for a fourth year if significant progress has been made, but the RPL has not yet attained independent investigator status. MaRCH COBRE pilot projects will be funded up to $50,000 a year and renewable for a second year depending on the PPI’s progress. The goal is to provide initial seed funding and create a pipeline for future RPLs. All MaRCH COBRE RPLs and PPIs will have a mentoring team, with a primary mentor and up to 2 co-mentors with complementary expertise based on the mentee’s mentoring needs. Aim 3: Ensure a Rigorous and Comprehensive Evaluation of the MaRCH COBRE. The evaluation will examine the extent to which we 1) develop and enhance the research infrastructure to ensure the success of the MaRCH COBRE and 2) develop a critical mass of investigators focused on maternal and reproductive health.