Administrative Core

Abstract Admin Core The major aim of this core is to coordinate program budget, activities, and training, facilitate communication between program participants, and coordinate a small Pilot Projects Program (PPP). In particular, this core will coordinate: 1) program budget/subcontract arrangements, 2) biannual meetings of P.I.s, key program personnel, patient advisory board, and external advisors, 3) archiving and distribution of program publications, 4) compilation and submission of annual NIH program renewal applications, 5) data management and compliance with NIH policies, 6) maintenance of a program web page, 7) training of graduate and postdoctoral students, and educational outreach (lectures, etc.), 8) organize a structured review for pilot project applications, and disseminate and monitor progress of PPP funded projects. The overall administration and direction of the program project will be the responsibility of the Program Director A. Vania Apkarian. The routine day-to-day administration of the program, including budgetary matters, correspondence and meetings will be managed by the Administrative Assistant. Educational matters will be managed by co-PI J. Griffith, who will oversee academic opportunities for students, fellows, and trainees, and organize the Pilot Projects Program. The Program Director and Project Principal Investigators will make budgetary and scientific decisions pertaining to individual projects jointly. These decisions will be made four times a year. In addition to business matters, these meetings will offer investigators participating in each project an opportunity to discuss their projects, and evaluate experimental progress. Although each meeting will focus on an individual project on a rotating basis, this structure will remain flexible to allow new discoveries to be discussed. Existing technologies will enable these conferences to take place from networked workstations. This will provide an opportunity to share data in a variety of formats and stages of analysis. All project leaders are in close proximity on the Northwestern Medicine campus in downtown Chicago, allowing for routine weekly interactions. The program will be reviewed by Internal, Patient Advisory Board, and External Advisory Committees. Our Internal Advisory Committee (IAC) is composed of experts in drug abuse prevention, clinical pain management, opioid pharmacology, chronic pain and cellular/molecular/genetic physiology, and are all affiliated with the Feinberg School of Medicine. Chris Weasley and Terrie Cowley will lead our patient advisory board (PAB). They both have experience with national advocacy and will advise our program. The IAC and PAB will meet with the Center Director and team leaders twice a year to discuss the scientific progress of the Center, governance and administration issues, and evaluate proposals for the Pilot Projects Program. Additionally, a four-member External Advisory Committee will review the center annually. Once a year, these consultants will spend two days evaluating program progress and providing advice. Each consultant will provide a written report after visiting. This report will be distributed to the members of the center. If needed, remedial plans will be formulated, implemented and documented.