Administrative Core The paramount responsibility of the Administrative Core (AC) is to ensure that the American Indian-Alaskan Native Clinical and Translational Research Center (AI-AN CTRC) keeps its efforts focused on the goal of the program, which is to build research capacity in AI-AN health research and improve AI-AN health in Montana (MT) and Alaska (AK). Thus, the AI-AN CTRC Administrative Core (AC) must assure that AI-AN CTRC cores work together efficiently by continually and carefully monitoring their activities and facilitating communications within and among them. The AC will work closely with the Tracking and Evaluation Core to monitor the Center?s activities, and, if needed, change allocation of resources and/or aims according to the guidelines of the Center?s operating policies and procedures. The AI-ANCTRC spans across two large states and 7 sites and is designed to create an environment, much of it virtual, that will link the program?s components so that it functions as one body. Thus, the AI-AN CTRC AC will create the organizational and physical environment necessary to facilitate the accomplishment of the goals and specific aims of AI-AN CTRC components and integrate the functions of the AI-AN CTRC components to achieve the overall goals of the program through three specific aims which include: 1. Develop and maintain the leadership, governance, and expertise needed for AI-AN CTRC to accomplish its goals. The AC will be directed by Drs. Allen Harmsen and Jay Butler as Multi-PIs and Judith Kaur as Co-Director. Together this team has expertise in building research programs and administering large program grants as well as expertise and experience in Native health research necessary to successfully lead the AI-AN CTRC. Governance of the AI-AN CTR will be by an Internal Advisory Committee, External Advisory Committee, Community Advisory Board and Steering Committee. 2. Develop and maintain the capacity of AI-AN CTRC components to achieve their aims and coordinate component efforts, facilitating the integration of components within the Center, investigators within the Center, and the community with the Center. Center activities will be coordinated by developing the communication network necessary for AI-AN CTRC components to be integrated and function as a single body. Video conferencing will be used for regularly scheduled working meetings. Potential new Center investigators and community members will access Center resources through a Center website. 3. Work with the Evaluation Core to constantly assess the progress of the Center in achieving its goals and, when needed, utilize evaluation to inform procedural and/or organizational changes to facilitate achievement of the Center?s goals. It will be critical to constantly evaluate all components of the Center as well as its overall accomplishments and when necessary will institute a change and again evaluate the effect of the change on achievement of goals.
