The Administrative / Coordinating Core is responsible for the overall administration of the U54.
The Specific Aims of the Core are to ensure the following: 1) Operational Efficiency so that the research teams at the site function efficiently and have the administrative and fiscal support needed to do so at the highest level of effectiveness; 2) Regulatory Adherence so that the investigators may follow all pertinent regulatory practices and guidelines and adhere to the highest ethical standards in conducting their research; 3) Effective Communication and Collaboration so that the project leadership interacts successfully with one another, with the site teams, with the broader scientific communities, with the sponsor, NIH, and with the External Advisory Group. The Administrative / Coordinating Core coordinates the administrative, fiscal, regulatory and logistical aspects of the research program in order to support the activities of the U54 research projects and External Advisory Group. Personnel in this Core will provide overall scientific leadership for the projects, as well as facilitate collaboration and operations at the clinical and laboratory site of the projects in Uganda. They will prepare documentation and manage regulatory processes with the various institution review boards in Uganda, and will also provide fiscal services support in Uganda. These activities involve scientific and administrative staff and facilities of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center (FHCRC) in Seattle, WA as well as its entity in Uganda, the Hutchinson Centre Research Institute of Uganda (HCRI-Uganda). Both the FHCRC and HCRI-Uganda staff have ample experience coordinating international research studies as this collaboration in Uganda has been in existence for ten years and currently operates a multi-million dollar research budget and activities in Uganda.
The Administrative / Coordinating Core will help facilitate the research activities by overseeing meeting coordination, tracking project expenses in Uganda and by making sure that the research is conducted ethically. The Administrative / Coordinating Core will also enable travel and other logistics amongst the project and core leaders which will foster scientific collaboration, as well as strengthen the partnerships between projects and the sites in the US and Uganda.
