The goals of the SDSU HealthLINK Center for Transdisciplinary Health Disparities Research Administrative Core (Center AC) are to ensure the effective oversight, coordination, and integration of Center activities with other efforts at San Diego State University (SDSU) and San Diego State University Research Foundation SDSURF), with NIMHD, with other funded institutions, and the RCMI Translation Research Network. The ultimate goal is to enhance SDSU's basic biomedical, behavioral, and clinical research capacities related to minority health and health disparities. The Center AC will support the Research Infrastructure Core, Investigator Development Core, Community Engagement Core, and the three Research Projects (Research Project-Physical Activity, Research Project-Obesity in Cancer and Research Project-Pain) through implementation of the proposed MPI plan. The Center AC will support a range of activities conducted by the Center's Cores and Projects, and will work to coordinate activities across the Cores and Projects and in relation to other activities being conducting at SDSU. This will ensure that the Center is making progress toward achieving its aims and so that resources and services offered are not duplicative. In addition, the Center AC will convene an Advisory Committee, and coordinate it's activities. The AC will be responsible for IRB and federal compliance for all research being conducted through the Center. It will provide fiscal management for the Center, including reviewing expenditures of the Center and the subcontracted organizations, ensuring that all expenditures are in line with projections and the proposed scope of work. Budget summaries will be available for ready review by NIMHD including budget justifications and projected expenditures as required. The Center AC will assume responsibility for coordinating the three types of career enhancement opportunities proposed in this application (i.e., mentoring matching, workshops and seminars), and promoting engagement by mentors and junior investigators, including pilot project awardees. The AC will assume responsibility for coordinating the Center evaluation tracking system and annual evaluation reports. This will involve conducting an annual web-based survey to examine engagement and other constructs associated with transdisciplinary research. We will also examine the productivity of individual investigators' and SDSU, including but not limited to peer-reviewed manuscripts and independent and collaborative extramural funding. Finally, the AC will manage the dissemination of protocols and training materials to all Cores and Projects.
