Admin Core - Wadsworth Center's Children's Health Exposure Assessment Resource (WC CHEAR)

Aldous, Kenneth

Abstract

The Wadsworth Center Children's Health Environmental Analytical Resource's (WC-CHEAR) Administrative Core will be integrated into the WC's Division of Environmental Health Sciences (DEHS) administrative office, and the WC central administration. The DEHS currently provides secretarial and administrative support to the three PIs, their laboratory operations, and several key staff located in other WC divisions. The DEHS division office comprises a senior and a junior administrator, two secretaries and a clerk who work closely with the WC administration. The Administrative Core will be the primary point of contact for routing and integrating all activities and communications within the WC-CHEAR hub, and will act as the principal conduit for external communications between the WC-CHEAR, and the CHEAR Coordinating Center the Data Center, NIH-funded researchers that are customers, and other CHEAR Network laboratories. The Administrative Core will maintain tracking of all samples submitted to the WC-CHEAR and will be responsible for ensuring all data are reported to the Data Center in the appropriate format, and to the NIH funded researchers. Communication among the other network laboratories and the NIEHS program office will be coordinated through this core. The Administrative Core will guide NIH funded researchers on the specimen type, optimal amount of specimen required to complete the range of analyses, required collection, shipping and storage procedures to meet the rigorous requirements each type of analyses. Contact information will be provided for WC-CHEAR resource subject matter experts, and those key staff assigned responsibility for the analysis of specimens for NIH- supported projects. The Administrative Core staff will ensure communications meet the needs of the customer, and that laboratory testing is consistent with the agreed upon schedule for reporting test results. The Administrative Core will organize and make available standard documents including analytical methods and protocols for distribution to other CHEAR hub laboratories. Additionally, the Administrative Core will maintain the hub quality management system documentation as lab-developed tests are validated and are required to meet quality standards. Required progress reports will be assembled and schedules to administer surveys for self-assessment and internal evaluation for each hub resource will be developed and conducted. Results of assessment surveys will be shared with the PIs to incorporate improvements, anticipate upcoming researcher needs, identify potential developmental initiatives, and communicate results back to researchers.