The Administrative Core (AC) will catalyze, facilitate, support, coordinate, monitor, evaluate and disseminate tobacco regulatory research being conducted at the University of Pennsylvania-Rutgers University TCORS (UP-RU TCORS). The AC serves as hub for all four research projects, the Career Enhancement Core (CEC), which includes a pilot project program, the Tobacco Industry Marketing (TIM) Core and the Biosample Analytic and Regulatory (BAR) Core. The Rapid Response Projects (RRP) Program will be directly administered via the AC. The AC will utilize strategic planning, evaluation processes and establish benchmarks and milestones to ensure that high quality, rigorous tobacco regulatory science is conducted within our center. The AC will also serve as the primary point of contact for communication and collaboration with external entities, including the Food and Drug Administration Center for Tobacco Products, the National Institutes of Health, other TCORS, the Center for Coordination of Analytics, Science, Enhancement, and Logistics (CASEL) in Tobacco Regulatory Science, and other investigator teams interested in collaborative opportunities in tobacco regulatory science. The UP-RU TCORS assembles a multi-disciplinary team of experts who are committed to tobacco regulatory science to conduct four highly integrated research projects that share a common theme: Examining the Effects of Advertising, Packaging and Labeling on Perceptions, Use and Exposure of Combustible Tobacco Products. There are essential activities required to provide leadership within the UP-RU TCORS as well as leadership with external stakeholders and collaborators. It is the goal of the AC to provide the required leadership and guidance so that every potential opportunity is identified and met to accelerate the accrual of highly rigorous, informative tobacco regulatory science research. The AC will: monitor and evaluate progress of the UP-RU TCORS projects; enhance team-based tobacco regulatory science and facilitate collaboration; support pilot project applications, and catalyze efforts between projects and cores; provide RRP coordination and oversee the conduct of RRPs; facilitate and disseminate communication and collaboration with other TCORS, federal agencies and all tobacco regulatory science stakeholders; and provide administrative and budgetary oversight of the UP-RU TCORS.
