Administrative Core

ADMINISTRATIVE CORE PROJECT SUMMARY COBRE Phases I and II supported eight early-career Project Leaders and one mid-career Project Leader. Six Project Leaders graduated with major independent grant support and the most recent COBRE recruit, Dr. Prayag Murawala, has achieved significant professional success and is on a strong path to independent R01 support. Past and current COBRE Project Leaders have achieved multiple professional milestones in publications, grants, patents, new disease models and research tools, as well as the formation of an IDeA program/Maine state government partnership that allowed MDIBL to obtain $3M in voter-approved state bond funding to expand research infrastructure. COBRE Phase III will continue to build the research infrastructure of the Davis Center by establishing self-sustaining core facilities and funding pilot programs in Aging and Regeneration research. COBRE Phase III will greatly enhance the development of the Davis Center and MDIBL, which in turn will contribute to the continued enhancement of the biomedical research environment in Maine. The Administrative Core is critical to the management and success of COBRE Phase III. The COBRE PD/PI and Administrative Core Director, Dr. Iain Drummond, has primary responsibility for administering the program and overseeing the continued development of the COBRE cores and pilot project program. He is assisted by the Program Coordinator, Amy Ackerman. Decisions regarding budgets, core usage and direction of the COBRE Pilot program are made by the Director with advice from the Advisory Committee (AC). Leadership and oversight include establishing and managing the allocation of all Center resources; maximizing the impact and reach of core services, consolidating budgetary systems to ensure core sustainability, organizing Center activities; organizing AC meetings; continued professional development of past COBRE project leaders and MDIBL faculty; evaluation and prioritization of Pilot project funding, and interactions with other groups to further COBRE goals. MDIBL’s long-term strategic scientific goal is to build a world-class research program in aging and regenerative biology. The Davis Center will remain MDIBL’s sole research focus for the foreseeable future and sustainability of its scientific programs is therefore of the highest priority to MDIBL leadership. Sustainability will be achieved by providing cutting edge core services and continuing to grow the COBRE network with innovative pilot project funding and access to breakthrough technologies.