The Administrative Core will provide oversight of all Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases (EZID) center components and functions. The Administrative Core consists of the PI/PD, Associate Director (AD), Internal Advisory Committee (IAC), External Advisory Committee (EAC), Project Mentors, and Research Core Facility Directors. The Administrative Core personnel have research interests in the mission of the EZID core theme as well as extensive grant management, general administrative, center management, and faculty mentoring experience. EAC members with outstanding qualifications and whose research interests strongly align with EZID will be recruited. The two core facilities are each managed by a Core director with relevant expertise and they directly support the primary projects and other center programs. The faculty mentoring program and EZID programs will also be directed by the Administrative Core. The faculty mentoring program is tailored to the primary projects, with individual development plans and external mentors that have strong expertise relevant to the project, and internal mentors with general expertise in that area. The mentoring team will provide guidance on project development and implementation, supply feedback on manuscripts and grant applications, and give constructive programmatic feedback on a semi-annual basis. The faculty mentoring program will provide critical support to facilitate primary project leaders (and pilot grant holders) in submitting successful grant applications and graduating from the COBRE program. The faculty mentoring program consists of: 1. The Regional Scientific Network (RSN). It connects EZID with other centers in the region that work in EZID's mission space. Connections with multiple partners have been established and further network expansion will be achieved during COBRE Phase I. The RSN will offer opportunities for research workshops, provide access to various core facilities, and promote collaborative research. 2. The pilot grant program. It will expand the scope of the research supported by EZID by funding 3 grants annually, including mentoring to promote successful transition toward extramural funding. 3. Additional components. It includes plans to fund up to 3 seed grants annually to researchers across the State of Kansas, to recruit two new faculty members at KSU, to host annual mini-symposia with our RSN partners, to hold an EZID seminar series, to organize individualized writing session, and to hold training workshops on grant writing, career development, and responsible conduct of research. The collection of projects, cores, and programs will ensure the establishment of a successful COBRE research center in the State of Kansas.
