The Region X Northwest Regional Center of Excellence (NWRCE) for Biodefense and Emerging Infectious Diseases is an essential component in a nationwide network of biomedical research programs to combat infectious disease threats to the population. The NWRCE is currently a highly interactive and thematic program focused on Gram-negative bacterial pathogens, and the same general consistent focus has existed since its inception. There are three research themes: (1) mechanisms of Gram-negative bacterial pathogenesis, (2) innate immune responses to Gram-negative bacterial pathogens, and (3) translation of (1) and (2) into early stage therapeutic development to prevent or treat Gram-negative bacterial diseases. The NWRCE is centered at the University of Washington (UW) in Seattle;in this renewal application, multiple sites are proposed in Seattle, two in Oregon, one in Idaho, and one in Maryland. Additional sites for collaboration include the NIAID Rocky Mountain Laboratory in Montana, the University of Victoria, British Columbia, and collaborators at sites in Thailand, Sweden, and Mexico. The projects, cores, domestic and international sites, as well as collaborators, are highly interactive. The individuals that make up this proposal have worked together for many years during the last funding period and before the NWRCE was created. The majority of investigators newly added to this to this application for renewed funding of the NWRCE have had long collaborative relationships with members of the center. The interactive nature and focus of the NWRCE is a major strength of the program and allows the NWRCE to rapidly and nimbly respond to national priorities to achieve important objectives with respect to Gram-negative bacterial infections.
The Northwest Regional Center of Excellence for Biodefense and Emerging Infectious Diseases (NWRCE) is a large infectious disease research program composed of many investigators in the Pacific Northwest and beyond. The center conducts research to understand bacterial disease and produce countermeasures against these infections which are deemed of national importance. STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT PLAN DESCRIPTION: The development and management of the NWRCE has been achieved through the combined efforts of the key administrative staff (Director, Associate Director, Assistant Director, Laboratory Manager, and Award Director) as well as the positions and personnel which have been added during the course of the award. The coordination of NWRCE activities and the management of the central select agent lab is accomplished by this group, providing a clearinghouse for information as well as a conduit for communication among the dispersed elements of the RCE. Specifically, the Administrative Core organizes and manages the resources of the NWRCE, organizes meetings and otherwise facilitates communication between all components of the NWRCE, prepares reports and measures outcomes, ensures compliance with regulations regarding biosafety and security of materials, data, and facilities, identifies opportunities for new and translational activities of the NWRCE while addressing weaknesses in the execution of the NWRCE strategic plan, recruits individuals and administers developmental and career development projects through the Award Program, maintains compliance with intellectual property requirements, maintains compliance with the Patriot Act, and establishes an interface with the local, regional, and national public health network so that NWRCE capability can be utilized in a national or regional public health emergency.
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