Administrative Core

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PROJECT SUMMARY – ADMINISTRATIVE CORE The mission of the Administrative Core of the proposed O'Brien Northwestern University National Resource Center that will serve as the first Physical Sciences-Kidney Resource Center is two-fold: first, to create the infrastructure, processes and procedures that are required to guide the Center in accord with the Center framework; and second, to connect the Center with the broader NIDDK National Resource Network. The major goals of the Center's Administrative Core are to (1) Support transdisciplinary physical sciences in kidney research, training, and outreach; (2) Foster synergy and integration of the Center; (3) Support planning and evaluation activities; and (4) Expand participation and diversity of investigators in kidney research. The Center has adopted a multi-PI/PD leadership model for the Administrative, Biomedical, and Resource Development Cores, with leadership teams consisting of physical scientists and kidney researchers to provide top-down integration of physical sciences approaches and kidney research. The proposed administrative team of Drs. Quaggin (Principal Investigator/Director), Alfred George (Co-PI/PD/Co-Director), and Sheila Judge (Associate Director) brings extensive experience in developing effective strategies for management and training activities. The Administrative Core of the Northwestern University National Resource Center (NU-NRC) will fulfill its mission “to enable transformative kidney research through the application of physical sciences” with the following six Specific Aims: 1. Lead, manage, and integrate all aspects of the NU-NRC and ensure that Center resources are shared nationally. 2. Collaborate with the National Coordinating Center (NCC) and other NRCs to: (a) Prioritize external requests to maximize access to network resources; (b) Enhance national outreach and impact; and (c) Educate the community about kidney research. 3. Monitor emerging scientific technologies, methods, models, and concepts and facilitate their application to the needs of the national kidney research community. 4. Contribute to the expansion of the pool of kidney investigators. 5. Enhance the diversity of the Center and kidney research at Northwestern. 6. Develop and implement a Summer Student Enrichment program. The NU-NRC offers a robust infrastructure for providing established nanotechnology-based translational capabilities for drug delivery to kidney researchers through its Biomedical Resource Core and strong oversight mechanisms to foster new applications of physical science-based technologies through its Developmental Resource Core. In addition, the Center will leverage a well-established SciHigh program, a wide array of training opportunities, and pilot funding to expand and diversify the pool of talented kidney researchers and lower the barriers to research for early stage investigators. A well-defined set of Center metrics, milestones and timeline will aid ongoing evaluation of NU-NRC progress. Finally, NU-NRC leadership are poised to support the work of the O'Brien Kidney Consortium and maximize the value of resource centers across the consortium.