UAB National Coordinating Center for the George M. O'Brien Kidney National Resource Centers

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For over 30 years, the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) has funded the O’Brien Kidney Center program to advance kidney-related research. To expand the breadth and impact of these centers, NIDDK has modified this program by establishing the O’Brien Kidney Consortium. This consortium will include ~8 theme-based National Resource Centers (NRCs) tasked with developing and sharing specialized resources, tools, technologies, services, and expertise and a National Coordinating Center (NCC) to lead, manage, and harmonize all aspects of the Consortium. We propose the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) to serve as the NCC for the O’Brien Kidney Consortium. Led by an epidemiologist (Dr. Paul Muntner) and nephrologist (Dr. Orlando Gutiérrez) and supported by nephrologists, biostatisticians, kidney physiologists, health behaviorists, and strong research mentors, the proposed NCC investigator team is interdisciplinary with experience participating in NIDDK-sponsored consortia. UAB has the infrastructure to lead the NCC including (1) An established Data Management and Analysis Center (DMAC) with an established data portal that has supported NIH-funded multi-center networks and implemented programs to enhance collaboration, common data elements, and data sharing, and (2) Experience engaging patients to ensure research addresses issues that are important to them, (3) A commitment to diversity/equity/ inclusion, (4) Drug development/ entrepreneurship expertise to facilitate the translation of research into better patient outcomes, and (4) Training programs that will provide support for early-stage investigators that spurs innovation and impact of their research. Additionally, the UAB investigators have implemented and administered competitive pilot grant programs that has nurtured the development and provided supported high- impact research ideas with a substantial return on investment. The UAB NCC has five aims including (1) Providing administrative support, facilitating communication and coordination, and enhancing synergy by implementing standard operating procedures and sub-committees for the O’Brien consortium; (2) Expanding the UAB DMAC to provide a portal for sharing protocols, data, tools and other resources for the O’Brien consortium; (3) Implementing a training plan that includes team science workshops, hierarchical, peer and near-peer mentoring, and virtual office hours for early-stages investigators to collaborate with the O’Brien NRCs; (4) Engaging patient viewpoints, priorities and preferences through focus groups and active scientist- patient interaction to inform the O’Brien NRCs and consortium; and (5) Administering a national pilot program with pre-submission scientific and biostatistics consultation, rigorous peer review, and ongoing mentorship to support early-stage investigators, investigators new to kidney research and collaborations with the broader kidney community. The UAB NCC will support NIDDK and the O’Brien Kidney Consortium to advance kidney research nationwide maximizing the impact on improving kidney health.