The Developmental Core is an essential tool used by the Case CFAR to provide support for innovative and successful AIDS-related research activities. The Core has an impressive track record in identifying key focus areas in AIDS research and engaging junior faculty through direct/hands-on mentoring. During the last grant cycle current Asst. Profs. Donald Anthony, David Canaday, David McDonald, Yong Gao, Michael Cho and Scott Sieg were supported by CFAR developmental awards, mentored by senior CFAR faculty, and have now developed strong, independent research programs. These pilot project awards proved absolutely necessary for junior faculty to obtain sufficient preliminary data for an R series NIH grant award. Over the last 5 years the 22 CFAR-supported pilot projects, with a total investment of $712,000, have been leveraged into $11.7 million in NIH and non-NIH grants, or a 16.7-fold return on investment Members of the CFAR Developmental Core scientific review committee take pride in the past success of these junior faculty. To further build on these successes, we have now implemented a formalized mentoring process overseen by the Developmental Core. In addition, in close collaboration with the Administrative Core, Core B works to expand the CFAR membership by providing resources for the recruitment of new faculty and the engagement of faculty who have not previously been involved in HIV/AIDS research in collaborative projects. Finally, Core B interacts with each of the laboratory Cores in the CFAR by providing a scientific review mechanism used to evaluate new capital equipment purchases and project-based core services awards. The Core achieves these objectives through the following mechanisms: ? Junior investigator-initiated pilot project awards and allied mentorship program ? Targeted pilot project awards in areas of high strategic priority ? New faculty recruitment and engagement of senior faculty in HIV/AIDS research ? support for CFAR cores through strategic investments.
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