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 Montana State University (MSU) COBRE Administrative Core is directed by the PI, Allen Harmsen, who is a senior funded researcher in Veterinary Molecular Biology. Dr. Harmsen provides administrative oversight, chairs the Executive Committee, and serves as a research advocate and coordinator of the scientific research conducted under MSU COBRE. The purpose of this core is to provide administrative support and services to the PI, Mentors, Project Leaders, new faculty hires, and to all investigators and technical personnel working on the scientific projects and cores of the proposed center. Dr Harmsen works directly with the project mentors to guide and coordinate the program projects and new faculty hires, and it is through this Core that the projects and related cores of the center will be interwoven and regularly assessed. Under this oversight, Dr. Harmsen is responsible for the leadership, management, staffing, and resource allocation, and for administering the MSU COBRE in accordance with NIH policies. The Administrative Core also includes an Administrative Associate who organizes the COBRE events and conferences, an Accounting Associate who is responsible for fiscal management and support for all aspects of the program, and a Program Evaluator who collects and analyzes data and reports on the progress of the programs. The Administrative Core is comprised of several additional components. The Executive Committee (EC) includes the PI and the Core Directors. The Cores of the Center include directors from the Genomics and Proteomics Core (Core B), Molecular and Cellular Analysis Core (Core C), and BSL-3 Core (Core D). Directors from each COBRE Core are Veterinary Molecular Biology faculty and also participate on the Mentoring Board. As a whole, the EC will review COBRE progress reports, set priorities for research efforts on the program projects, provide directives of all the cores activities, and make recommendations to the PI for future center directions. The External Advisory Committee (EAC) advises on scientific, administrative, and research elements of the COBRE Program. The committee is comprised of nationally recognized scientists that includes: Suzy Swain, President of the American Association of Immunologists, Member NIAID Council, and Director of the Trudeau Institute; John Collier, Harvard University, National Academy of Science Member, and internationally recognized expert on anthrax toxin; Jerry McGhee, University of Alabama-Birmingham and internationally known expert in mucosal immunity; and Christopher Wilson, Head of the Department of Immunology at the University of Washington and internationally recognized expert in immunity to infectious disease. The EAC reviews the MSU COBRE s performance, specific aims, and evaluates the longitudinal progress of the program. EAC activities include concept development, program planning, research project development and mentoring, identification of resources, and evaluation of progress toward stated goals. In some cases, EAC members provide mentoring assistance to Project Leaders and identify potential national mentors and collaborators. The Administrative Core organizes several programs to enhance research experiences and publicize the MSU COBRE Program, namely the National Speakers Series and the Annual Research Conference. The national speakers series brings world-class infectious disease researchers to MSU campus three times a month. The COBRE-sponsored speakers will tour labs at the host institution and meet with COBRE researchers and students. These visits expose all faculty and students to cutting-edge science and provide informal review of ongoing research. INBRE students and faculty prepare for the seminars by reading journal articles and background science on the speakers' research prior to their visits. The annual research conferences and symposiums are important venues that allow project leaders and other important researchers to showcase their research, interact with other researchers who share similar interests, and brainstorm new techniques and ways to expand or improve the science.
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