Administrative Core

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The leadership of the Baylor-UTHouston Center for AIDS Research thanks the reviewers for their thoughtful comments in the previous critique. Those comments were very helpful and guided our strategic thinking as we planned and prepared this revised application. We also consulted with NIH CFAR program officials and obtained advice from our External Advisors as part of the resubmission process. Some of the criticisms in the critique reflected inadvertant omissions of certain details as well as inadequate presentations of past accomplishments or future plans. We have responded to those criticisms throughout this revised application by expanding the narrative and providing more detailed descriptions and specific examples of activities and services and of research and educational programs. We regret the omission and inadequate descriptions of Protection of Human Subjects information in some of the Cores and it has been corrected in this resubmission. There were more substantive concerns expressed about the organization or value of certain cores. To respond to those criticisms, we carried out a complete re-evaluation of our strengths, weaknesses and opportunities and analyzed the role of each core in facilitating AIDS-related translational research. Several cores were reorganized and major modifications made in their goals and/or services and functions (Clinical Research, Behavioral Science, and International Research). The other scientific cores (Immunology, Virology, Design and Analysis) were also revised. Questions about lack of innovation prompted us to formulate a strategy involving a more proactive use of Developmental funds to foster translational research in areas of gaps and opportunity at our CFAR that would take advantage of our strengths and promote synergy among the cores. Two applications of this type were funded in the most recent Developmental grants cycle, both of which involved collaborations between Baylor and UTHouston researchers. We also formalized a plan to support the development of a broad Scientific Program in HIV and Coinfections, focusing on HIV and Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Diagrams illustrating these new collaborative projects are included in various Core descriptions. In addition, we designed a comprehensive mentoring plan to help the career development of junior investigators in HIV/AIDS research. These new plans are presented in the Developmental Core and referenced throughout the application. There were questions raised about the new partnership between Baylor College of Medicine and the University of Texas-Houston. We acknowledge that aspects of that relationship were ill-defined in the previous application. In the intervening year between that first application and this resubmission, substantial progress has been made in integrating CFAR activities and management at the two institutions. This improved integration will be evident throughout this revised application. Examples of this integration include addition of UTHouston faculty members to the leadership of several cores and to Core Oversight Committees, successful competition by UTHouston CFAR members for 2004 Developmental funds, and the development of new research collaborations between Baylor and UTHouston faculty. Importantly, leaders of ADDS research at the two institutions share a common vision of the CFAR and its benefits. We are energized by the plans for a more proactive CFAR and the expanded opportunities for translational HIV/AIDS research that emerged during this revision process. Responses to specific comments in the critique are presented at the beginning of each core. Unless noted otherwise, changes in this revised application are marked with a vertical line in the left-hand margin.