The Administrative Core will provide coordination and oversight of all activities of the Projects and Cores in this Program, and will maximize interactions and potential synergies among Project Leaders, Core Leaders, and laboratory personnel at the two participating institutions, namely, Columbia University Medical Center (CUMC) and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC). The major scientific functions of the Core will be to provide expert bioinformatic and biostatistical support for the Projects and other Cores. In addition, to facilitate program integration and effective communication among its various members, the Core will organize monthly meetings composed of two parts: (i) Research presentations, which will include all program participants, as well as relevant Internal Advisory Board members; and (ii) Executive meetings, which will be limited to the Executive Committee (Drs. Abate-Shen, Shen, Solit, and Al-Ahmadie) and members of the Internal Advisory Board. The latter meetings will provide a forum for candid assessment of research progress, oversight of Core utilization, prioritization of resources and objectives, and resolution of potential conflicts. An important function of the Core will be to provide logistical support through management of data and resources, fiscal review and budget analysis, preparation of progress reports, and regulatory compliance. Finally, the Core will organize an annual full-day review of the Program Project by members of the Internal and External Advisory Boards, who will provide detailed feedback on research progress and future directions, as well as advice on program management. This Core will have the following specific aims: (1) To provide bioinformatic and (2) biostatistical support for the Projects, which will be led by co-Investigators, Drs. Barry Taylor (MSKCC) and Tian Zheng (CUMC), respectively. (3) Program management, which will include: (a) Coordination of the overall program by maintaining the organization of the program and establishing mechanisms for effective interaction among its personnel; (b) Data and resource management by promoting effective utilization of Cores A and B, supporting access to secure storage of research presentations and databases, and facilitating data and resource sharing with external laboratories; (c) Review of the Program Project by Internal and External Advisory Boards to evaluate ongoing progress of each Project, review the functionality of the Cores, and provide advice on future research directions. Taken together, the operations of the Administrative Core will ensure the smooth and efficient functioning of the overall Program, as well as planning and oversight for its operations, and will promote the sharing of data and resources within the Program Project as well as with external investigators.
