Administrative Core

OSCTR Administrative Core: 5U54GM104938-12 (6643), PI: Judith James Modified Project Summary/Abstract Section The Oklahoma Shared Clinical and Translational Resources (OSCTR) serves as the central nexus for clinical and translational research (CTR) in Oklahoma, primarily focusing on addressing the most pressing health issues of Oklahoma and other IDeA states. The OSCTR will accomplish this mission by providing CTR training and infrastructure, helping junior investigators establish independent CTR careers, and expanding opportunities for community participation in clinical research and trials. The OSCTR activities span more than 30 entities, including academic health centers, major universities, non-profit research institutions, public health, and community organizations. The OSCTR is governed and managed through this Core. The Program Director, Program Coordinator, Executive Committee, Steering Committee, and Internal and External Advisory Committees provide strategic plans, policies, procedures, and oversight to achieve the overall mission and goals of the OSCTR. These leaders allocate OSCTR resource use, prioritizing research addressing prominent health issues in Oklahoma, such as cancer, obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, mental health, substance abuse, arthritis and autoimmunity, child health, and positive health choices. Through meetings, annual conferences, workshops, seminars, webinars, and teleconferences, leadership decisions are communicated with OSCTR partners, investigators, scholars, and NIGMS program staff. The Administrative Core will manage the Gateway to Research in Oklahoma (GRO), a new unified portal where researchers, healthcare professionals, and patients can become involved with CTR in Oklahoma. GRO consolidates and expands several OSCTR activities and resources for investigators, including a research navigator service, CTR fact sheets and tutorials, access to OSCTR Core resources, and a powerful web-based research networking application (PROFILES). For clinicians, GRO provides tools for understanding the clinical research process, discussing clinical research with patients, and implementing evidence-based practices. For patients, GRO introduces research participation and shares stories of CTR at OSCTR partner institutions. The Administrative Core will continue to foster collaborations with other IDeA programs in Oklahoma to help leverage NIH investments in the state. It also will help lead efforts to build on the recent successes of cross-state IDeA-CTR collaborations that can address other shared health concerns. Scientific communications personnel will provide lay summaries to stakeholder communities. Finally, this Core houses the OSCTR Scientific Writing Unit (SWU), formed in response to stakeholder input to foster the productivity and funding success of OSCTR Scholars and Pilot recipients by providing training, writing assistance, and consultation on developing publications and grant applications. To help facilitate a sustainable impact on CTR in Oklahoma, the proposal development office will aid community partners in building their capacity to develop competitive center, collaborative, and infrastructure grants to synergize with the OSCTR mission.