Center for Cancer Immunology and Immunotherapy (CCII) - Admin Core

The goal of the Center for Cancer Immunology and Immunotherapy (CCII) COBRE Phase 2 program is to enhance and expand a thematic multidisciplinary research center of excellence at the University of Louisville. This Center focuses on improving our understanding of cancer immunology and developing novel immunotherapeutic approaches. The Administrative (Admin) Core will coordinate the professional activities of the more than 30 individuals in the CCII COBRE program. It will provide administrative, fiscal, and scientific oversight and planning for research project leaders (RPLs), mentors, the research core, a pilot project program, and an advisory committee. In addition to governance functions, the Admin Core will provide key research and mentoring support and assist with new recruitment for COBRE-eligible junior investigators. This support will include the awarding of project grants, assignment of mentors, provision of a Grant Mentorship Program (GMP), biostatistics and data science/bioinformatics support, compliance and regulatory oversight, and mentoring of pilot projects. The Advisory Committee (AC), which consists of three leading scientists in the CCII thematic area, one senior institutional official, and one senior faculty member, will provide scientific guidance and constructive feedback regarding center/project/research core progress. It will also be involved in CCII strategic planning and in the selection of replacement and pilot projects. The two Center Co-Directors will direct the Admin Core with key support from a Steering Committee (SC), which comprises two co-Investigators and research core Director. The Admin core also includes two additional co-Investigators who are well qualified to oversee the essential biostatistics and data science/bioinformatics support. Their efforts will supplement a mentoring program that is anchored by nine senior investigators who are experienced mentors and have been highly productive and well-funded in the thematic area. The three specific aims of this Admin Core, which encompass all of these functions, are to: (1) Provide scientific leadership and administrative oversight for coordinating thematic research on cancer immunology and immunotherapy; (2) Provide support for the development of highly competitive RPLs through mentoring and career development programs within the CCII program; and (3) Expand the CCII pilot project program to further stimulate new projects and collaborations. Innovative features of the Admin Core are built on lessons learned from establishing other multidisciplinary thematic centers and include a shared governance approach that aims to ensure engagement of all participants. A holistic mentoring strategy provides comprehensive guidance for our CCII RPLs. Other innovative features of the Admin Core include a creation of two-types of pilot projects: one for junior investigators to help develop NIH R01-type award and another for team science projects that involve 3 or more faculty to provide an initial framework to pursue NIH program projects. This novel approach will help to both identify pipeline RPLs and to promote collaborative research to expand and sustain the Center.