The Management and Administrative Core (MAC) of the Johns Hopkins Roybal Center (JHRC) will serve as the overall administrative unit of the Center and be primarily responsible for overseeing all aspects, resources, programs, and pilot projects of the Center. The MAC will spearhead and further refine the vision and unifying themes of the Center, set attainable goals in implementing this vision, and contribute to the excellence and exportability of the scientific products of JHRC-affiliated initiatives. Many scientific resources that are common across the multiple pilot projects will be coordinated and centrally administered as part of the MAC. This will include assistance to the pilot project investigators with administrative matters, access to community partners and other contacts for participant recruitment and retention, and key infrastructure resources for study and data management. Due to the specific methodological innovations to be used by many of the pilot projects, the MAC will also include resources and specific expertise for qualitative and mixed methods research; computer-, video-, and accelerometer-assisted data collection in the natural (e.g., home) environment; and a spectrum of analytic and statistical modeling approaches. These resources will both contribute to the quality of the pilot studies and foster the development of these research projects as they mature into more independently funded research programs.
The specific aims of the MAC will be: 1) to establish an interdisciplinary scholarly leadership structure to stimulate and sustain innovative translational research programs in informal support resources and family caregiving; 2) to partner with the leadership of the Pilot Core to identify, design, and support the next generation of translational research programs that are aimed at addressing multiple, complex needs of many older adults through strengthening their informal support resources; 3) to provide innovative methodological resources that will enable pilot investigators to further advance their research programs toward independent funding; and 4) to coordinate JHRC activities and progress with other Roybal Centers, funding agencies, community partners, and other stakeholder groups.
The Management and Administrative Core provides the scientific leadership and administrative oversight necessary to facilitate the overall function of the proposed Johns Hopkins Roybal Center. This vision and oversight will enable highly successful translational research programs to develop that have the potential to improve the lives and functional well-being of older adults.
