Administrative Core

ABSTRACT The Administrative Core provides infrastructure support for overall direction of the programs, organization of external and internal advisory committee meetings, and appropriate fiscal management of the program. The Core has the following functions: 1) Oversight of Research Program: This will include monthly meetings of the Steering Committee of all investigators. There will be an Internal Advisory Committee of relevant established investigators at the University of Pennsylvania who will meet virtually every six months with the Program Director and project faculty and staff. In addition, this Core will establish an External Advisory Committee and there will be an annual virtual site visit to review progress. 2) Seminar Series: The Core will organize a seminar series with outside speakers. The names of speakers will be suggested by faculty in the Program Project. The goal of this seminar series is to keep faculty in the Program Project current, both with respect to new concepts, and also with respect to new experimental approaches. 3) Financial Management of the Program: This Core will be responsible for financial management of this Program Project. It will maintain financial records, do purchasing and provide investigators with reports about expenses from their component of the program. 4) Liaison with Other Entities: The Core will facilitate smooth interaction between the Program Project and other relevant entities at the University of Pennsylvania, other institutions in this Program Project, as well as with the research consortia we have established. 5) Liaison with Research Training Efforts: We have a major commitment to research training for the next generation of investigators. The Administrative Core will facilitate interaction between the programs of research being conducted as part of this Program Project and the postdoctoral, graduate students, and junior faculty research training efforts. We anticipate that our research trainees will seek mentors from faculty involved in this program and conduct their research training in programs specifically related to this program of research. 6) Data Sharing/Sub-studies and Ancillary Studies. The Core will oversee management of data sharing and the ability to do sub-studies and ancillary studies. Core staff will work closely with the team in the Data Integration Core (Core C). The Administrative Core will take primary responsibility for obtaining needed data sharing agreements. 7) Dissemination. The Core will develop and implement a comprehensive dissemination plan, including development of a specific website and a program using social media with both Facebook and Twitter.