Major goals of the COBRE Center are to increase the scope of research conducted in Montana related to zoonotic and emerging infectious diseases and to increase the competitiveness of Montana investigators for extramural funding. In COBRE Phase III, our efforts will focus on increased competitiveness and sustainability of the Center, and these efforts will be integrated and regularly evaluated through the Administrative Core. As such, the goals of the Administrative Core are to provide advising and mentoring support, educational opportunities, program evaluation, oversight of the Pilot Grants Program, financial management, and secretarial and computer support for the entire COBRE Center. The Administrative Core will be directed by Dr. Mark T. Quinn, the overall PD/PI, with assistance from Ms. Cheryl Johnson, the Program Coordinator. The Administrative Core will provide direction to the Center through a Steering Committee comprised of Dr. Quinn, the two Scientific Core Directors (Drs. Mark A. Jutila and Edward E. Schmidt), and the Mentoring Board Director (Dr. Allen G. Harmsen), who is PD/PI of the Montana INBRE Program and a long-time member of the COBRE Center. The Steering Committee will continue to be directly advised by the External Advisory Committee (EAC), and bidirectional interaction between the EAC and the PD/PI will serve as a mechanism to maintain global oversight and direction for the COBRE III Center. The Program Coordinator will be responsible for day-to-day Scientific Core oversight, managing the budgetary needs of the program, coordinating with the Program Evaluator (Dr. Carrie Myers) for preparation of annual progress reports, organization of monthly Center group meetings, and scheduling of Steering Committee and External Advisory Committee meetings. Through these efforts, the Administrative Core represents the mechanism for COBRE Center oversight, evaluation, and change, if necessary, to address issues and take advantage of new opportunities. The Administrative Core is the cohesive component that facilitates organization and cooperation of all Center components, and an effective and responsive Administrative Core is essential to the successful operation of the COBRE Center as it transitions throughout Phase III and focuses on Center sustainability. By providing effective oversight of all Center components and activities, the Administrative Core will facilitate achievement of our maximum potential as a premier Center of research on zoonotic and emerging infectious diseases.
The Administrative Core provides the infrastructure and organizational support necessary for management of an efficient and productive COBRE Center. Successful direction of the Center by the Administrative Core will facilitate accomplishment of the goals of COBRE Phase III, thus leading to a sustainable Center focused on studying zoonotic and emerging infectious diseases.
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