Administrative Core

Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond VA

Investigators

Linked publications, trials & patents

Abstract

Project Summary – Administrative Core The Administrative Core of the Virginia Commonwealth University Alcohol Research Center (VCU-ARC) will provide the centralized administrative functions of the VCU-ARC. This entails supervision and coordination of five research projects (Projects 1-5), and two additional cores focusing on the Pilot Project program and a Behavioral Core. Additional responsibilities will include outreach and teaching within VCU and dissemination outside the University of accomplishments of the alcohol research program of the VCU-ARC. Overall scientific and administrative oversight will be conducted by the Center and Scientific Directors (Drs. Miles and Bettinger), with assistance from an Internal Advisory Committee and the Steering Committee, who will be responsible for monitoring scientific productivity and integrity of the Center as well as the general scientific research direction of the Center. An External Advisory Committee will assist the Directors and Steering Committee in scientific and administrative oversight of the Center and selection of pilot projects for years 3 through 5. The Administrative Core will assist active collaboration and communication between all Center components through a series of biweekly meetings consisting of research presentations, literature reviews or seminars by invited distinguished scientists in the alcohol research field. These will rotate with a Foundation of Alcohol Research (FAR) lecture series on fundamental aspects of alcohol research. These meetings and invited seminars will be open to the VCU research community to encourage expansion of alcohol research at VCU. The Administrative Core will also contain a Data Analysis, Integration and Resource Sharing (DAIRS) component to directly assist Center investigators in advanced analytical approaches, provide expertise and resources for data integration, and provide portals (Google Drive, GitHub, VCU-ARC web site) for general information, data, protocols and analysis code sharing. The Administrative Core will also oversee functioning of the two research cores to foster their active use by Center investigators (Behavioral) and outreach to attract new investigators to alcohol research (Pilot Project). Pilot projects (2) funded in years 1, 3 and 5 from funds requested in this proposal, will be supplemented by additional flexible matching funding provided by the VCU School of Medicine and VCU Office of the Vice-President for Research and Innovation to enhance their scientific progress. The Pilot Project core will also help recruit potential additional pilot projects specifically dealing with alcohol/cancer and alcohol/liver disease interactions. These will utilize additional flexible funding provided by the VCU Massey Cancer Center and the VCU Stravitz-Sanyal Institute for Liver Disease and Metabolic Health. Ultimately, it will be the goal of the Administrative Core to oversee function of the Center as a national resource and to continue expanding the scope and quality of alcohol research at VCU.