Methodology Core

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Core unit personnel will be involved in providing each of the following four major services: project design, statistical support, Framingham/Beijing/MOST and OAI epidemiologic analyses and administration. Although these services can be considered separately for ease of presentation, they in fact represent a rich network of integrated functions that will contribute to MCRC performance in a number of ways. First, the centralization of these services helps to integrate the multiple research projects of the Center and will also serve to facilitate their administration. Second, the core service functions will provide supplemental support for projects in epidemiology and other clinical research funded through this MCRC proposal and for a number of other projects that are or will be funded from other sources. This core unit already provides substantial research support for multiple externally funded projects (e.g. four current R-Ol/U-01's) and will continue to do so during the next 5 year cycle. RESCU will also provide critical start up support for new projects that evolve during the grant cycle. Third, the core will provide services to other research activities in the Arthritis Center including basic and clinical research projects such as those in vasculitis and scleroderma. Fourth, core funds will enable our staff to continue their consultative support of researchers at other arthritis units. The core unit arrangement will create a network of resources that extends the functions of staff beyond their specific project assignments and facilitates the efficient use of staff time. Two key features of this central resource are the shared office space of members of this support unit which leads them to frequent interactions, and the weekly staff meetings in which ongoing and proposed research projects are critically evaluated. The continuation of this successful core unit will thus provide a set of centralized and shared resources that will enhance our productivity in an area of special Center emphasis and that will contribute to a resource in support of other arthritis investigators who need design and analysis advice. This external support function of the core unit will help to achieve one of the major goals of the NIH Centers Program.