An Administrative Core for the CaST Center

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PROJECT SUMMARY The Administrative Core will provide coordination and oversight across all Center activities. It will help maximize interactions and synergies, enable optimal use of available research infrastructure such as the Center's state-of-the-art High Performance Computing Environment, facilitate the participation of Center members to the activities of the Cancer Systems Biology Consortium (CSBC), ensure that input from Consortium activities is properly integrated into the Center's research program, and administer a pilot research fund which will support one-year intra-Center research projects contributing to the overall Center research theme. An effective management structure will be put in place to ensure that these objectives are achieved, including an Executive Steering Committee (comprising the Center's Directors, Project Manager, and NCI program officers) that will establish the direction of the Center's program and provide overall guidance; and a Project Manager who will meet frequently with project and core leads to ensure that planned work is proceeding according to schedule, that operational problems are quickly resolved, and that software, data, and models generated by project activities are released to the public in a timely manner, liaising with the CSBC Data Coordination Center as needed. To further promote integration of the program and effective communication among its various members, the Core will organize monthly meetings comprised of two parts: (i) research presentations, which will include all program participants, and (ii) executive meetings, which will be limited to the Executive Steering Committee. The latter will provide a forum for candid assessment of project progress and prioritization of resources and objectives. It will also offer an opportunity to explore possible interactions and collaborations with other CSBC Centers and related NCI/NIH initiatives. An important function of the Administrative Core will be to provide logistical support through management of data and resources, fiscal review and budget analysis, preparation of progress reports, and compliance with regulatory requirements. A qualified Center Administrator will be appointed to assist the Center's Directors and Project Manager with the execution of these tasks. The Core will be responsible for assembling a world class scientific External Advisory Committee (EAC) to advise the Center's Directors and to provide an impartial assessment of the Center's research program. The Core will organize an annual review meeting where the EAC members will be asked to offer feedback on research progress and future directions, as well as advice on program management and the administration of the pilot project progam. The Core will also be responsible for defining and tracking a broad collection of quantitative evaluation metrics to assess the quality and utility of the Center's products. Finally, the Administrative Core will coordinate the participation of Center personnel to all Consortium activities, including attending meetings and workshops, contributing to working groups and technical committees, and interfacing with other NIH initiatives.