The Administrative Core (AC) will provide all of the administrative and budgetary support to the MD Anderson Cancer Center Cancer SPORE in Gastrointestinal Cancers PIs and investigators, and form the central ?hub? for productive interactions within the SPORE community. It is co-directed by Drs. Scott Kopetz and Anirban Maitra, and supported by a research program manager, Dr. David Menter, an experienced multi-investigator grant administrator and investigator. Both, Dr Kopetz and Dr. Maitra have experience in overseeing multi-investigator grants that include Institutional Grants, Cancer Center Core Grant Programs, and Stand Up to Cancer Grants. The overall goal of the AC will be coordination and monitoring of 3 Projects, 2 additional Cores, as well as the Developmental Research (DRP) and Career Enhancement (CEP) Programs. The AC is designed to monitor research activity and provide stable and continuous leadership and direction that advances integration, communication, and collaboration among GI SPORE investigators within MD Anderson and among extramural institutions, in particular, our partner institution, Johns Hopkins University (JHU). The AC will leverage the wide- ranging scientific, research, and SPORE-related experience of both Internal and External Advisory Boards in critical decision-making steps. The AC will ensure fiscal management, including personnel, budgets, and effort oversight, facilitate communication, interfacing with patient advocates, organization of meetings, manuscript preparation, and progress and other reports to the NCI and GI SPORE committees, and cross-communication of Cores and Programs. Of paramount importance is to ensure timely communication and consultation with the NCI Translational Research Program Director and staff for both adherence and deviations from stated programmatic goals. This Core is to also monitor scientific integrity and overall compliance with all institutional, state, federal, and NCI regulations and requirements, as well as quality assurance for data integrity including a change in the data integration plan with utilization of the new institutional clinical trial management system (CTMS) in lieu of Redcap, which provides greater data linkage residing in the Biospecimen and Pathology Core (Core 1) and Biostatistics and Bioinformatics Core (Core 2). The AC will be responsible for oversight of DRP and CEP for completion of deliverables. The AC also facilitates routine convening of staff and management of all necessary meetings. The AC will also enhanced awareness of colorectal and pancreatic cancer research and patient advocacy in the community as well as ongoing needs of minority and underserved communities in Houston and Harris County catchment area. This core will also help leverage and facilitate translational GI cancer research efforts being conducted by extramural groups locally and in the US and globally through both horizontal and vertical collaborations within the SPORE framework.
ADMINISTRATIVE CORE: Project Narrative The primary purpose of the Administrative Core of the MD Anderson Cancer Center SPORE in Gastrointestinal Cancers is to facilitate the integration of multidisciplinary investigators into a focused team that will further basic and clinical translational research in colorectal and pancreatic cancer. As a key part of the Institutional mission it will provide uninterrupted leadership and guidance and oversee data sharing and sample management along with general administrative support for all SPORE-related activities, as well as comply with all federal mandates for budgeting and reporting of progress.
