Administrative Core

Summary The Administrative Core (Core A) will oversee operation of the Center for Molecular Interactions in Cancer (CMIC) at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS), including all organizational and budgetary aspects. Center Director, Dr. Robert Eoff, will lead the Administrative Core. Dr. Eoff has the scientific expertise, administrative background, and mentoring track record required to serve as Center Director. Center Deputy Director, Dr. Fen Xia, will assist Dr. Eoff in the operational oversight of the Center, adding scientific and administrative expertise to the CMIC leadership team. During Phase 1, the Administrative Core will develop an organizational framework that provides a scientific and administrative infrastructure that serves the needs of Center members. The short-term goals of the Administrative Core will be to coordinate all Center activities, implement a Faculty Development Plan, develop 2 productive and efficient research cores, oversee a Pilot Project Program to fuel the growth of the Center, facilitate interactions with the Advisory Committee and institutional officials, maximize use of IDeA resources, and coordinate evaluation of all Center components. These activities will enhance the ability of junior investigators to compete for NIH individual research grants or equivalent extramural supportensuring the longevity of the Center by building a critical mass of successful researchers interested in using structural biology and quantitative molecular approaches to address critical gaps in our understanding of cancer etiology and treatment, which aligns with the long-term goal of transitioning the CMIC to a self-sustaining, thematic center that increases the biomedical research capacity at UAMS and its affiliate institutes. To achieve the short-term and long-term goals of the CMIC, Center leadership will pursue the following Specific Aims in the Administrative Core: (Aim 1) establish an organizational framework to manage all Center components and activities, (Aim 2) implement a Faculty Development Plan that includes formal mentoring and structured training opportunities designed to increase the likelihood that junior investigators will successfully compete for NIH individual grants and build capacity within the Center, and (Aim 3) support the growth and evolution of the Center by overseeing a Pilot Project Program to fuel replenishment of the RPL pipeline and coordinating a comprehensive evaluation program that monitors progress for all Center members and components using quantitative milestones and goals as metrics.