Extramural Associates Development Research development *

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DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Upon the inception of the Office of Sponsored Research Programs and Projects (OSRPP) in 1995, the Ponce School of Medicine (PSM) has experienced a transformation from an essentially teaching-oriented institution to a vigorous research center. Along these lines, the OSRPP has played a key role in this process. The Office has assisted the institution in; the establishment and development of a strong research infrastructure with state-of the-art equipment and facilities, the retention and recruitment of faculty with great potential in developing competitive biomedical, clinical and behavioral research programs, the enhancement of faculty grant manship skills in order to develop competitive grant applications, the improvement of the institutional ability to secure external funding for research and training from federal and non-federal agencies, the enhancement of faculty productivity as measured by the number and quality of peer-reviewed publications, and the increment in the number of predoctoral fellowships secured by trainees in the different research programs. Since the initiation of the EARDA Phase I in 1995, the institution has demonstrated full and unconditional commitment towards the goals and objectives of the OSRPP. In that regard, the institution has been able to allocate substantial financial and human resources for the Office development. Moreover, in order to advance the OSRPP research agenda, the Director, Dr. Jos6 A. Torres-Ruiz, was promoted to the level of Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Studies. From this administrative position, Dr. Torres-Ruiz will have the necessary authority and support to implement and carry out the recently approved Institutional Strategic Plan for Research for the New Millennium. Indeed, this is highly relevant in view of the fact that the major aim of the OSRPP, through the EARDA Transition Award, will be to aggressively pursue the objectives under Goals 3 and 4 of the Strategic Plan for Research. These Goals are directed to enhance the level of clinical and behavioral research, and to increase the level of research training and institutional development programs. Institutional arrangements have already been made to allocate financial resources for cost-sharing the two-year transition, and to assume total fiscal responsibility of the OSRPP operation by the end of 2005.