Administrative Core

TRANSCEND-Administrative Core Core Summary The Administrative (Admin) Core will organize, manage, and provide oversight for all the functions of the TRANSCEND CTR-D. The Admin Core will be led by the Principal Investigator, Dr. Schwartz, and by a co-lead, Dr. Milavetz, who has >14 years of experience in research administration. Together, Drs. Schwartz and Milavetz will be responsible for all aspects of scientific, ethical, and financial compliance for TRANSCEND. The goals of the Admin Core will be accomplished through four Specific Aims: Aim 1: Provide leadership and an administrative structure that is responsive to community needs and to our scientific and clinical partners so that day-to-day operations are coordinated to achieve the overall goals of TRANSCEND. Aim 2: Foster collaborative engagement between partners and build an internal and external environment conducive to a well-functioning and integrated CTR. Aim 3: Create an environment that enhances the productivity of our C&T investigators. Aim 4: Foster community-driven translational research that positively impacts the health of our region. The administrative structure will include a Steering Committee of high-level leaders at each participating institution; an Executive Committee of core leads, co-leads, and others with specific knowledge; and an External Advisory Committee of national leaders in translational research. The Executive Committee will meet monthly and will serve as a bidirectional conduit for reviewing progress, addressing potential issues, and evaluating the effectiveness of core programming. The Admin Core will coordinate with the other cores in TRANSCEND to ensure that their respective proposals are consistent with the aims of the CTR-D. The Admin Core will also be responsible for collecting scientific and financial data to measure the success of TRANSCEND and working with Cores on needed changes to improve the function of the core. The Admin Core is designed to integrate the health issues of interest to North Dakota communities with the present and potential research expertise in TRANSCEND. Numerous health problems, e.g., colorectal cancer, neurodegenerative diseases, suicide, and high radon levels, have high prevalence rates in ND. Thus, developing the expertise and the workforce to address these issues is essential. In conjunction with other cores in TRANSCEND, the Admin Core has developed numerous innovative approaches to increase the skilled workforce to address these issues. These include educational opportunities for faculty to obtain Continuing Medical Education Credits for courses in C&T research, methods to incentivize grant submission and resubmissions, and the use of a Community Physician at Large (CoPAL) who serves as a liaison between TRANSCEND and the needs of rural hospitals.