The overall goal of the Administrative Core is to provide a robust centralized administrative structure that will coordinate the activities of the proposed NCTRI Northwestern Uterine Leiomyoma Center researchers and provide operational support that will reduce the burden on its investigators, allowing them to focus on their research. The Core will ensure that the proposed Center achieves its aims and will synergize the efforts of the Research Project investigators with the work of the Education and Outreach Core and the Tissue Procurement and Cell Culture Core. The Administrative Core will coordinate the participation of the Research Project investigators in the community engagement and research training activities of the Education and Outreach Core. We have developed an optimally organized Tissue/Cell Core, run by an experienced gynecologic pathologist to support LM research at Northwestern; this will provide an efficient facility for procuring and banking tissue samples and for cell preparation and storage. This facility is entirely supported by intramural funds from Northwestern. The Administrative Core will ensure and coordinate the distribution of human tissues and cells to all Center investigators. The Core will also solicit and coordinate a rigorous review process for Pilot Project applications. Below are the aims of the Administrative Core, which capture the overall objectives.
AIM 1. Reduce administrative barriers within and between Center Research Projects by providing funds and resource management services.
AIM 2. Foster team science through established communication methodologies to integrate cross-disciplinary research and coordinate scientific efforts within the Center and externally.
AIM 3. Provide an administrative framework to evaluate the progress of the Research Projects and the Cores to ensure a rapid pace of high-quality research and to solicit Pilot Project applications and rigorously select the best Pilot Project.
All aims will be achieved through the efforts of the Core Director, Dr. Bulun and the Research Administrator, Erin Simpson, who will provide overall and comprehensive administrative support.
Aim 1 is designed to provide support for financial and human resources management for the investigators, projects and cores; the Bulun and Simpson team will serve as the liaison to NIH and to central offices at Northwestern.
Aim 2 will be accomplished through a series of communication efforts, including recurring meetings for research progress and communication updates and the coordination of the Research Projects and Core functions.
Aim 3 will support the efforts of the Internal and External Advisory Committees that will review each project's progress and provide feedback on the overall Center and help review the Pilot Project applications and select the best Pilot Project. By aligning the Center through these activities, the Administrative Core will ensure the uninhibited progress of the Center's research, leverage team science and cross-disciplinary efforts to accelerate the pace of discovery, and evaluate progress and trajectory so the Center is consistently on target.
