Admin Core

SUMMARY An effective and motivated Administrative Core is essential to the Center’s overall success. The Core is responsible for developing a cohesive community of investigators who achieve individual success and who also work together to grow and sustain the Center and meet IDeA program goals. In previous phases, the Core led the establishment of the Center and coordinated the mentoring, equipment and program support needed for a cohort of junior faculty recruitment and development. The Core has led renovation of existing space and construction of a new building wing to provide a set of resources for preclinical and clinical research that is unparalleled in the state and a draw for competitive national and international recruiting. These activities have helped launch the careers of junior faculty and generate a vibrant community of interactive, interdisciplinary researchers at UNM. The Core’s approaches to facility management and support of investigators have led to a very strong institutional reputation and partnerships which have led to substantial growth of the research mission. Another strength of the Core has been ongoing evaluation of projects, components and overall progress of the Center, to support continuous refinements to our procedures. Phase 3 activities build on this foundation, by continuing to focus on increasing the Center’s critical mass of investigators. The Center’s successful career development activities will be maintained, including mentoring and training in grant writing, internal peer review and mock sections. The Core will also maintain the successful interdisciplinary seminar series and retreats, which will be strengthened in Phase 3 by an increased emphasis on new and emerging technologies relevant to the two research cores. The Administrative Core will also increase the capabilities and sustainability of the research cores, by increasing partnership to build user bases and approaches to support increased revenue growth. Another major Administrative Core activity in Phase 3 will be the oversight of an enhanced pilot project program, with goals of supporting new program development of junior faculty as well as renewal and expansion of new directions related to brain injury for established investigators. The Core’s rigorous evaluation and feedback activities will continue to be used to make program adjustments to increase the impact and sustainability of the Center, during and beyond the period of COBRE support. Achieving these aims will provide the foundation for the Center’s goal of a concerted and sustained effort by talented investigators with different backgrounds, to work together to develop new interventions for those living with the consequences of brain injury.