This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. The subproject and investigator (PI) may have received primary funding from another NIH source, and thus could be represented in other CRISP entries. The institution listed is for the Center, which is not necessarily the institution for the investigator. The Administrative Core (AC) managed various aspects of the RI-INBRE Program such as budgets, expenditures, subcontracts, personnel matters, communication with NCRR and participating institutions, review of new research subprojects and Pilot Projects, organization of meetings of the Mentoring Committee, Steering Committee (SC) and External Advisory Committee (EAC), program-related travel, development and administration of surveys for program evaluation, and preparation and submission of the Annual Progress Report. The Program Director and Program Coordinator held weekly meetings with the program staff, and other core coordinators as needed, to resolve any issues and plan program activities. Issues related to specific policy matters and performance reviews of the investigators resulting from the Mentoring Committee Reports were discussed at the SC and the EAC meetings. Further details about the Mentoring Committees and their impact on investigator productivity are provided in the overall program summary in this APR. Provided separately are also the summaries of minutes of the EAC meetings. Prior to their inclusion in the Program, the new subprojects were rigorously evaluated and revised with the assistance of ad hoc external reviewers and members of the EAC. The SC and EAC also provided input during preparation of several supplemental grant applications. Of these, the application for improvement of cyberinfrastructure in the state and expansion of personnel support for the Bioinformatics Core was awarded. In addition to a Bioinformatist, a part-time staff person was also appointed to serve as a liaison with the network institutions, track students through surveys, and prepare a newsletter. The first issue of the RI-INBRE Newsletter was published in fall 2009 and the next issue is planned for spring 2010. Due to personnel turnover, the Newsletter editor position is currently vacant. The AC staff organized two faculty Retreats and student poster conferences. These consisted of the annual Summer Retreat in August 2009 and Winter Retreat in January 2010. The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) program was expanded to include all students working at the six participating institutions. One of the SC members from each PUI took on the responsibility to administer the summer program at their respective institutions. For the second year in a row, the SURF Conference was coordinated and organized jointly with the RI EPSCoR program. Also, in collaboration with the SEPA program at Brown University, two high school teachers participated in the summer research experience with one of the RI-INBRE investigators at a PUI. The teachers planned to apply the research methodology in their respective science classes to enrich students'learning experience and pique their interest in science. A detailed description of the summer program is provided elsewhere under student training. Along with RI EPSCoR and COBRE programs, the AC co-sponsored the RI Alliance Symposium in Providence, RI. The Program Director and Program Coordinator also attended the Northeast Regional IDeA Meeting in Whitefield, NH. The next meeting of the group will be hosted by the RI-INBRE program. Finally, in April 2010, an AAAS panel will conduct a site visit to the Program in order to evaluate the progress made during the initial year of this 5-year Program.
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