Administrative Core
The Administrative Core, under the direction of Dr. Nancy McCain, is focused on the day-to-day management of the
Center and implementation of the pilot studies. Post-award Services are provided under the coordination of Dr. Mary Jo Grap. The Measurement
Services Coordinator, Dr. Cindy Munro, manages services related to
biological and behavioral measures, including direct laboratory services
and liaison with other institutional resources. Dr. R.K. Elswick, the Data
Services Coordinator in the Administrative Core, coordinates
comprehensive biobehavioral data management and statistical resources. Jeanette
Acree serves as the CBCR Grants Manager, and Erica Gregory serves as the Project Assistant for the Center.
Administrative Core Services are focused on day-to-day activities of the Center
including obtaining and coordinating resources, maintaining and enhancing communication and
collaboration, and facilitating the successful conduct of biobehavioral research of Center
investigators. To contribute to the achievement the aims of the CBRC, the Administrative Core
will:
- coordinate and integrate the activities of the Center;
- facilitate integrated post-award, measurement, and data services provided by the CBCR;
- facilitate continuous collaboration and maintain open, direct communication among all CBCR constituencies;
- facilitate interdisciplinary collaboration related to the goals of the CBCR as well as the aims of the pilot studies; and
- implement the Center evaluation plan.
As the Center grows over the funding period, the allocation of Center resources will become
increasingly complex. The Administrative Core will coordinate these resources through
continuous interactions among the Administrative Core Services Coordinators and the Director
of the Pilot Studies Core in order to ensure availability of needed resources for center
activities, including pilot studies in progress and development of new pilot studies.
The Administrative Core also coordinates the use of post-award measurement and data services during pilot study
implementation.
The Center website will enhance the communication among all Center personnel
and university constituencies, assist in building a cadre of investigators, and
publicize the Center’s activities.
The Administrative Core provides day-to-day coordination for other School of
Nursing resources and University resources for pilot study implementation. Identification of
pilot study resource needs will be addressed in the monthly meetings with pilot study PIs.
If CBCR resources are inadequate in type or amount, the Center/Core Director will be the
primary coordinator in seeking additional resources through either the School of Nursing
and/or the University.
Activities of the Post-award Services component of the Administrative Core
include
assisting pilot study investigators in implementation of their projects such that quality is
assured in data collection and analysis. The Post-award Services Coordinator assists
pilot PIs in troubleshooting implementation problems as well as provides consistent support
through study implementation, completion and communication of study results. A smooth
transition from study development to implementation through publication of results is likely
to increase pilot study investigators’ confidence in independently managing future studies
and thus provide a solid foundation for their research program development and growth.
Potential pilot study investigators will be mentored by Dr. Pickler, the Pilot Core Director,
from idea generation for pilot studies conducted within the CBCR through development of
proposals for independent external funding. We believe this extensive commitment to faculty
research program development is the foundation of a successful and sustained Research Center.
Therefore, the day-to-day implementation of pilot studies will be facilitated through the
Post-award Services Coordinator so that a strong commitment to study and faculty
development can be maintained as the focus of the Pilot Core.
Functions of the Post-award Services component of the Administrative Core are to
- facilitate implementation of pilot studies, including integration of reviewer and
Advisory Council recommendations, monitoring appropriate use of Center and University
resources by pilot study investigators;
- ensure compliance with regulatory requirements, such as IRB submissions and HIPAA
regulations, OSHA requirements, IRB certification of personnel;
- facilitate the dissemination of pilot study results; and
- assist in the implementation of the Center evaluation plan.
Pilot study PIs meet with the Post-award Services Coordinator and the Research
Administrative Professional
monthly for fiscal management of their studies. Although the pilot studies will be small
in terms of budget, and monthly meetings may not be absolutely required, this process will
provide valuable experience and training for PIs who will then be better able to manage
larger budgets in the future.
The Measurement Services component of the Administrative Core builds on existing resources
developed with previous funded projects. Laboratory resources provided by the Center will be
congruent with the aims for the research base programs and pilot studies. The Measurement
Services component coordinates the services of a number of collaborators, including the
GCRC laboratory and electronic data acquisition services, Immune Monitoring Laboratory, and
biomedical engineering services. This component provides direct services to Center
investigators through the CBCR Core Laboratory, which will perform functional assays of the
immune system, general biochemical measures, and analysis and storage of physiological data
obtained in clinical research areas. With Julie Stillman serving as Laboratory Director,
the CBCR Core Laboratory focuses on assisting Center
researchers in acquisition, storage, and manipulation of biological and behavioral data.
The functions of the Measurement Services component of the Administrative Core are to:
- provide expert consultation to center investigators in selection, design, and development
of biobehavioral measurements and methods appropriate for center-associated studies;
- provide direct service to Center investigators through CBCR Core Laboratory performance
of immune function and general biochemical assays;
- provide assistance with biological and behavioral data acquisition, storage, and analysis;
- coordinate access to and use of services available to center investigators, including
GCRC Laboratory services, Clinical Support Laboratory services and Molecular Diagnostics
Laboratory services;
- provide liaison with related VCU entities, including VCU Reanimation Engineering and
Shock Center, CARMA, and the Survey Research Laboratory; and academic units, including VCU
School of Engineering, Department of Psychiatry, Department of Psychology, Department of
Social Work, and Department of Physical Therapy; and
- assist Center investigators in the exploration and development of novel or innovative
biobehavioral research measures.
The objective of the Data Services component of the Administrative Core is to provide all
investigators involved with the Center for Biobehavioral Clinical Research with
comprehensive data management and statistical resources. Functions of the Data Services
component are to
- assist in the design of pilot studies in collaboration with the investigators and other
CBCR scientific personnel;
- serve as the data repository for all data collected from the pilot studies;
- assist in the development and testing of all data forms;
- supervise electronic as well as manual data entry;
- assure quality control for all data, including monitoring for accuracy, validity,
reliability, and completeness of study data;
- collaborate with pilot study investigators to formulate and implement analyses of
data; and
- assist Center investigators in the interpretation and reporting of findings.
Sally Russell serves as the Data Coordinator for the Center. The Data Coordinator’s duties
include continuous data coordination, management and monitoring responsibilities for all
pilot projects and will work under the supervision of Dr. Elswick. The Data Coordinator
is responsible for the development and maintenance of a comprehensive database for each pilot
study and in the preparation of data for statistical analysis for pilot studies. Also, the
Data Coordinator is responsible for supervising and facilitating electronic and manual
data entry and data collection tools, including the physical handling of paper data forms,
Teleform sheets, PDAs, and any other collection devices. Also, the Data Coordinator
assists Dr. Elswick in testing data forms and transferring data out of the database for
preparation and analysis. Finally, the Data Coordinator supervises and works closely with
the CBCR Data Technician to ensure the safe and accurate flow of data. The Data Technician
is responsible for all necessary manual data entry. |
