ADMINISTRATIVE CORESuccessful governance of the NBC and its more than 100 participating scientists at more than 25 institutionsrequires timely and continuous communication and clear lines of decisional authority.Communication:Rapid and responsive communication is critical to the RCE mandates of collaborative science, vigorousdevelopment, and rapid translation to products including diagnostics, as well as trials of vaccines andtherapeutics.1. The theme leaders have a major role in spiriting the science on a daily basis. Each pair of team leadershave been responsible for planning (and writing) their multicomponent themes and will continue to coordinateand stimulate interactions among the group of scientists, mobilizing findings at every level. Thiscommunication should be 'natural,' since the themes are clearly interactive in their scientific aims. The themeleaders will take the lead on communicating their theme's science to the other scientists in the NBC, especiallyother theme leaders. Meetings of the Executive Council, which are planned quarterly, will be important timesfor communication and consolidation. We envisage the quarterly Executive Council meetings as a time forcommunication and planning much more than pure 'governance', since the opportunities for interactionamongst our six themes are considerable.2. The annual scientific conference, which is outlined in the description of training and career development, isa major opportunity for training, think tank discussions, and development of new directions. This retreat willcomprise scientific presentations, poster sessions and workshops to accomplish its training andcommunication missions, and it will also be the time for one of the Executive Council meetings, as well asmeetings with the Scientific Advisory Board and Governing Council.3. On a daily basis, the NBC Web site (Table 1) will be the best venue for communication with participants inthe RCE at all levels, from students and research assistants to Pl's. As part of the consortium's developmentprocess, a secure website was created allowing members active in the application process to post documentsand optimize communications. After the application phase, the NBC will develop a permanent andcomprehensive website. This website will have restricted and public access areas (Table 1). The restrictedarea will be an internal communications tool for all consortium scientists and institutions. Each researchproject and core will be featured separately; in this way, the NBC administrators and researchers can tailorinformation to each specific component of the RCE while maintaining an overview of the overall consortiumactivities. The website will also provide information relevant to NBC members on, for example, new findings,submitted manuscripts, additional biodefense grant opportunities and NBC training programs. The public areaof the website will be a resource on biodefense-related science issues for the general public withcommentaries from NBC researchers on new scientific discoveries and their relevance to bioterrorismpreparedness. This part of the site will also describe opportunities for NBC collaboration and funding forinterested, non-NBC researchers in the region.4. An electronic NBC newsletter is planned to facilitate communication of major developments andopportunities. The newsletter will feature articles on NBC participants, projects, institutional resources, andprovide a forum for sharing ideas and stimulating discussion. The newsletter is also intended to promoteinterest in the NIAID biodefense research agenda and attract new participants.5. The outcomes section of the strategic plan provides several criteria that will be used to gauge performanceand progress. In following these criteria, the administrative core and Executive and Governing Councils willgain access to many NBC activities.6. We recognize the importance of 'grass roots' in stimulating scientific discovery and communication. Thiswill be possible at many points in the design of the NBC. Students, postdocs, clinical fellows and researchassistants will be involved in the NBC at such points as: the call for developmental projects three times a year,the web site, the newsletter, access to courses in individual institutions, particularly during visits to carry outscientific collaborations, the central course in biodefense and emerging infections, and the annual scientificmeeting.7. To foster communication among the participants from the 25 participating institutions, Lipkin will continue tovisit project investigators and core directors at their home institutions.
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