The Core provides the mechanism for integrating and coordinating the interdisciplinary approaches to drugabuse research at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU). It provides shared resources and serves toFacilitate communication among all investigators in the Center. Moreover, the Core is available to all drugabuse researchers at VCU. It serves as a mechanism for fostering interactions among the participants in theCenter and those who are supported by other NIDA grants. The Core consists of four components. TheAdministrative Component is responsible for scheduling drug abuse seminars, attending to travel for invitedspeakers, organizing regular meetings for participating faculty, coordinating scientific exchange, distributionof drugs to collaborators, and fostering training. The Mass Spectrometry Component provides qualitativeand quantitative sample analysis that is essential for many of the drug abuse research projects at theUniversity. The Small Grants Program will support two VCU faculty members yearly. The goals are to fundpromising young investigators who demonstrate potential for independent research, to attract seniorscientists from other fields into drug abuse research, and to foster new collaborations. Past awardees havesubsequently been very successful in obtaining their own individual funding as a result of the Small GrantsProgram. The Mouse 'Knock-out Facility' provides genetically modified mice to investigators working incannabinoid, opioid, and nicotine areas. The facility will allow sufficient breeding so that adequate numbersof animals will be available. A major advantage of a Center Core is that it provides shared resources thatare more economical and that are sometimes not available unless they are funded by this type mechanism.Of course, the Core also affords the opportunity for researchers from many different disciplines to becomefamiliar with areas of research that will complement their own endeavors. It is also through the Core that weare able to be a national resource.
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