The broad objectives of the Administrative Core (Core A) of the Gonorrhea Vaccine (GV)-CRC are to provide the infrastructure needed to help the Center meet its long-term goal of increased understanding and improved control measures for chlamydia and gonorrhea infections. Dr. Ann Jerse will be the Core Leader and a Core Manager will assist her in the running of the core. The activities of Core A are organized around the following five specific aims and a management plan has been developed to address each aim.
Aim 1 is to foster interactive and synergistic interactions between Center PIs, co-PIs and Core Leaders to maximize research accomplishments and increase the types of significant breakthroughs that occur when experts in different fields work together. Mechanisms to accomplish this goal include monthly teleconferences for Center investigators and annual GV-CRC meetings where Center PIs, coPIs and Core Leaders present their progress. An outside scientific advisory board (SAB) composed of researchers with diverse experience in STIs will attend one of the GV-CRC meetings and provide critiques on the progress of individual Research Projects, the Research Cores, and the overall Center.
Aim 2 is to provide funds, mentorship, and networking opportunities to talented new investigators working in STI research through the Developmental Research Project (DRP) program. Core A will solicit calls for applications and organize the review panel and review process by which awardee will be selected. Core A will also play a role in developing a training plan for the awardee and will provide the DRP awardee with the opportunty to attend and present at an annual NIAID programmatic STI CRC meeting.
Aim 3 is to actively facilitate good communications between the Henry Jackson Foundation, who will administer the awards and subawards of the Center, and administrative personnel at the different institutions within the Center. In this way, the accounting responsibilities of the center can be better discharged in an efficient and straightforward manner. Core A will provide administrative oversight with respect to maintaining all assurances for animal and human use.
Aim 4 is to regularly communicate with NIH/NIAID program staff so that our progress is transparent and we are aware of changes in programmatic focus. To promote these interactions, NIAID program staff will be invited to the annual internal GV-CRC meetings.
Aim 5 is to broaden networks within the STI research community by actively seeking and identifying potential collaborations between Center researchers and investigators at other Centers. Besides helping to identify such collaborations, Core A will consult with NIAID program staff for information on expertises or technologies held by other Centers that might help PIs within our center.
