The Translational Center for Serotonin and Stimulant Addiction (TCSSA) will address the large gap betweenthe beliefs that 5-HT is involved in addictive processes and the mechanisms through which 5-HT functionand dysfunction actually contribute to addictions and their treatment. The Administration, Communicationand Interpretation Core (Core A) will play a critical role in this process by promoting and enhancing synergyamong all players in the proposed translational Center. The Administrative Core will facilitate TCSSAfunctions and will meet the administrative needs of the faculty, staff, and trainees within the Center, includingoversight of TCSSA organization and logistical and integrative processes. The philosophy behind thisstructure is the belief that the success of the TCSSA is heavily dependent upon the interconnections andcommunication among all components. The overall goals of the Administrative Core are to: (1) create thenecessary administrative infrastructure to empower efficient TCSSA function and to ensure sound fiscalmanagement and appropriate compliance and reporting; (2) create a productive community of translationalscientists in an intellectually dynamic, productive and interactive milieu through a unified communication andcollaboration plan; (3) provide strategic guidance to the Projects and Scientific Core in the planning andevaluation of research, and to assure adherence of the individual Projects to the theme of the TCSSA; (4)facilitate translational training and mentoring goals; (5) maintain a TCSSA-specific, restricted-access websitewhich will allow coordination of planned experiments, data distribution and data integration; (6) serve asliaison to the Leadership Team and External Advisory Board and implement their recommendations; (7)serve as a centralized structure for coordination of data and resource distribution. Core A will be instrumentalin assuring that the collaborative, transdisciplinary initiatives proposed here are pursued systematically andthat the products of our translational efforts are shared with the scientific community. In all of these activities,the Administrative Core will function with integrity, following the recommendations of the Leadership Teamand the External Advisory Board. The Administrative Core will assure that maintaining quality control,improving efficacy and enhancing productivity will be permanent, dynamic components of the TCSSA.Lav Abstract. The Administrative Core (Core A) of the TCSSA will be instrumental in assuring that thecollaborative, transdisciplinary initiatives proposed are pursued systematically and that the products of ourtranslational efforts are shared with the scientific and lay communities in a timely manner.
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