Administrative Core (Core A)

Administrative Core ABSTRACT The Tennessee Center for AIDS Research (CFAR) continues its four-way partnership between Vanderbilt University Medical Center (a research-intensive institution), Meharry Medical College (a burgeoning academic health sciences center), Tennessee Department of Health (an academically engaged state health department), and Nashville CARES (a sophisticated HIV community-based organization). The CFAR is located in the Southeastern United States, the region with the greatest number of new HIV acquisitions and of persons living with HIV. Achieving the overall aims of the CFAR and its cores requires an innovative, flexible, and engaged Administrative Core (AC). The significance and impact of the AC are heightened by the multi-institutional structure of the CFAR, making its work critical to programmatic success. The AC is designed to be innovative, flexible and engaged to achieve the Specific Aims of the CFAR; to support collaborations between the partner institutions that combine the unique strengths of each to synergist effect; to mentor the next generation of HIV researchers; and to engage the community, with a resultant impact toward the goal of ending the HIV epidemic. The work of the AC is grounded in fostering mutual trust and effective communication, maximizing value through efficient use of financial and human resources, and a commitment to serving the needs of HIV researchers throughout the CFAR. The AC is balanced between being proactive in strategically planning and changing to meet needs and promote innovation within the CFAR, being responsive to unanticipated needs of members, new opportunities, and advances in the field as they arise, and being supportive of ongoing research activity. The AC oversees resources and creates a collaborative environment through cores, scientific working groups, interest groups, and community engagement; receives input from CFAR members, community representatives, and other groups; modifies resources; and refines the organization structure and processes as appropriate. The AC will support the overall CFAR enterprise through three specific aims: 1) To provide leadership, management, coordination, and supervision of CFAR activities; 2) To enhance the HIV research productivity of the four partner institutions by supporting and coordinating collaborative and trans-disciplinary approaches; and 3) To facilitate effective and bi-directional communication about HIV-related research resources, activities, and advances.