This proposal is a competing renewal for the Penn Center for AIDS Research (CFAR), which includes the University of Pennsylvania, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and The Wistar Institute. This CFAR links faculty engaged in HIV/AIDS research at these institutions and is committed to goals laid out in the NIH CFAR mission statement and fostering interdisciplinary HIV/AIDS research activities on campus. The CFAR's Specific Aims are to: 1) provide leadership that creates and supports infrastructure for innovative, interdisciplinary, collaborative, and translational HIV/AIDS research on the CFAR campus;2) create, sponsor, and facilitate educational and training efforts that span scientifically diverse HIV/AIDS areas;3) conduct and coordinate community outreach efforts that communicate knowledge to and solicit input from domestic populations, particularly those hardest to reach and hardest hit by the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the Philadelphia area;4) develop partnerships with institutions and investigators outside the U.S. that strengthen the capacity for HIV/AIDS research, education, and training in developing countries most affected by the AIDS pandemic;and 5) promote collaborative research programs between CFARs that enhance and extend the added value that individual CFARs provide to the national CFAR network. The Penn CFAR includes four Scientific Programs: Virology/Pathogenesis, Clinical/Therapeutics, Immunology/Vaccine, and Behavioral &Social Sciences. The Center is directed by Dr. James A. Hoxie and co-directed by Dr. Ronald Collman and governed by an Executive Committee with input from an Internal Advisory Board and External Advisory Committee. The CFAR has a Developmental Core and seven Shared Resource Cores that provide key services to CFAR investigators not available elsewhere on campus including Clinical, Viral/Molecular, Immunology, Behavioral &Social Sciences, Biostatistics &Data Management, Non-Human Primate, and International. The Center remains committed to developing a creative, comprehensive, and interdisciplinary AIDS research program that is fully integrated with the research and educational mission of the University and dedicated to meeting the challenges of the AIDS pandemic. CORE A: Administrative Core (Core Director Hoxie, J.) CORE A DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The Penn CFAR represents a collaboration among the University of Pennsylvania, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, and The Wistar Institute. This Center is committed to the principles laid out in the National CFAR Mission Statement and strives to create a highly interactive environment among faculty on campus engaged in HIV/AIDS research. The Administrative Core (Core A) conducts, coordinates, and monitors activities of the Center to build infrastructure that fosters interdisciplinary and translational research in HIV/AIDS by establishing shared resource Core facilities, educational activities, and a Developmental Grants program in basic, clinical, behavioral and social sciences. The Administrative Core is also deeply committed to initiatives that build strong ties to the campus and the community. The Administrative will continue to be directed by James Hoxie. Ronald Collman assumed the role as CFAR Co-Director as of November 1, 2007. when Francisco Gonzalez-Scarano stepped down to attend to his responsibilities as Chair of Neurology and Co-Director of the Penn Comprehensive Neurosciences Center. The Director's and Co-Director's leadership oversees a governing Executive Committee and four Scientific Programs: Virology/Pathogenesis (Director, Robert Doms and Co-Director, Guido Silvestri);Clinical/Therapeutics (Director, Ian Frank;and Co-Director, Pablo Tebas);Immunology/Vaccine (Director, David Weiner;and Co-Director, Terri Finkel);and Behavioral &Social Sciences (Director, David Metzger). The Administrative Core implements the overall mission of the CFAR in association with the Executive Committee and with assistance from an External Advisory Committee and an Internal Advisory Board. The Administrative Core provides the management and scientific direction for the CFAR and establishes the necessary linkages among participants from the Center's three institutions. The goals of this Core continue to be 1) to facilitate communication that fosters collaborations between CFAR members;2) to ensure that opportunities in emerging scientific areas and technologies in HIV/AIDS research are recognized and pursued;3) to ensure that shared Core facilities serve the research needs of participating members and comply with the policies by which they were established;4) to ensure sound fiscal management and accountability for CFAR Core activities and Developmental funds;5) to establish multidisciplinary educational programs for faculty and students;and 6) to work with the Behavioral &Social Sciences (F) and International (I) Cores to develop strong outreach programs that address the needs of domestic and international populations most affected by the HIV epidemic.
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