The mission of the UAB CounterACT Research Education Core (UAB CARE-Core), Core 2 of the UAB Research Center of Excellence in Arsenicals (Center), is to develop educational offerings to advance knowledge and innovation in the area of arsenical chemical threat and applied toxicology. The UAB CARE- Core will provide complementary short-term multidisciplinary education in applied toxicological research related to arsenicals and other dermally active chemical agents. This will be achieved by creating and expanding local and remote capabilities for facilitating the development of key skill sets in its investigators, technicians, postdoctoral fellows (MD and PhD scientists), and medical, graduate and undergraduate students, with the goal of increasing the number and capabilities of researchers in the field. It is our objective to enhance interest in research related to chemical threats and biodefense and to encourage expanded research programs across our institution and field. The UAB CARE-Core will support the key component of the NIH strategy to identify, develop, support, and maintain the quality of our scientific human capital in the scientific research workforce by fostering diversity in all of its educational programs. The educational activities of the UAB CARE-Core will be organized along three focus areas related to acute chemical threats: basic science, clinical and translational science, and multidisciplinary outreach. These focus areas reflect the highly multidisciplinary and translational nature of applied toxicology. The Center's scientific arsenicals-related activities and findings will be used in the UAB CARE-Core's educational offerings to help motivate and unify the Core activities, although the educational themes will be common to a range of dermally active chemical agents, emphasizing broader points in applied toxicology. Finally, the UAB CARE-Core affirms its commitment regarding Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) training. In addition to UAB's required RCR trainings, RCR training topics will be imbedded into educational offerings provided by the Core each project year. All educational activities will take place at the Center's Research and Development Project sites and in clinical and educational sites across UAB. Distance- based offerings will be created to expand the reach of UAB CARE-Core educational offerings. Thus overall, the UAB CARE-Core will increase awareness in professional and public audiences of the biological basis of and potential therapies for arsenical threats and community-based approaches to prepare for these threats.
