Core A: Administrative Core

PROJECT SUMMARY The Administrative Core aims to provide executive oversight and administrative support for all SPORE in Pancreatic Cancer projects and cores. The Administrative Core will monitor the activities of all program components, ensure compliance with local and federal grant administration guidelines, and facilitate

communication and collaboration among program members. The specific aims of the Administrative Core are: Aim 1: Facilitate intra- and inter-SPORE communication, collaboration, and meetings. This core will be responsible for distributing SPORE-related materials, agendas, regulatory information, progress reports, and

publications to SPORE faculty and staff. We will coordinate bi-monthly working group meetings, monthly SPORE Steering Committee meetings, and an annual retreat to facilitate exchange of ideas and use of shared resources. We will coordinate the External Advisory Board and Internal Advisory Board. We will maintain a dedicated

website to provide progress updates and contact information, distribute quarterly updates to investigators highlighting resources available through the Biospecimen (Core B) and Biostatistics & Bioinformatics (Core C) Cores, and facilitate bidirectional flow of biospecimen samples and information. This core will also provide

administrative oversight of multi-institution SPORE clinical trials. Aim 2: Provide administrative and fiscal oversight and support for all SPORE components. We will interact with Washington University's Grants and Contracts Office and National Cancer Institute staff to prepare and submit annual progress reports and complete other projects as needed.

Aim 3: Coordinate the SPORE Developmental Research Program and Career Enhancement Program administrative activities. This core will solicit applications and coordinate review for the Career Enhancement Program (CEP) and Developmental Research Program (DRP). This core will monitor awardee progress, coordinate awardees’ travel to peer SPORE institutions, and facilitate use of core resources by awardees.

Aim 4: Enhance participation of underrepresented minorities in all SPORE activities. The Core will oversee DRP and CEP initiatives to promote minority participation in SPORE clinical trials and pancreatic cancer research. We will accomplish this through leadership, community outreach and education, clinical services,

clinical trial accrual auditing, support of disparities research, retention and recruitment of minorities, and communication with institutional disparities resources. Aim 5: Ensure advocacy issues are addressed in all aspects of research with patient participants. The Core will ensure that all SPORE components properly incorporate advocacy issues or concerns. We will

accomplish this in two ways including patient advocacy and patient feedback. Aim 6: Assist investigators in preparing scholarly presentations, publications, regulatory documents, and all other SPORE-related products. This core will be responsible for completing documentation required for investigators presenting at local and national meetings and submitting of documents to institutional regulatory

bodies (e.g., human and animal studies protocols), publications, and final peer-reviewed manuscripts supported by SPORE funds to PubMed Central immediately upon acceptance.