Administrative Core

In 2014, the Founding Director of Nebraska Center for the Prevention of Obesity Diseases through Dietary Molecules (NPOD), Dr. Janos Zempleni, secured COBRE funding to build infrastructure — including this Administrative Core — with the mission to prevent, treat and cure obesity and co-morbidities, major health threats

to Americans, with bioactive food compounds. The focus on bioactive food compounds is unique among obesity research centers in the U.S. Consumers can realize the benefits of bioactive food compounds without major lifestyle changes or great cost. Prior to NPOD, there was no formalized obesity research in Nebraska. NPOD is

on a strong trajectory toward sustainability, evidenced by metrics such as $195 million in external funding secured by members, 5-fold growth in member base, an annual revenue of $266,335 by its Research Core (equaling 84% of the Core's operating expenses), $173,444 in F&A cost return in FY 2022, and institutional

commitments equaling $2,717,139 and including two tenure-leading hires in Phase 3 and three years beyond Phase 3. University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL)-based director, Dr. Janos Zempleni, a leader in bioactive food compounds, and University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC)-based Associate Director and expert in liver

disease, Dr. Carol Casey, are committed to guiding NPOD through Phase 3 and beyond. Three external Advisory Committee members have served in that role since Year 1 and will continue to guide leadership and evaluate NPOD progress toward sustainability. NPOD leadership will continue to use a Steering Committee of seven

internal faculty and senior research officials; its predecessor has been instrumental identifying opportunities and fostering collaborations between UNL and UNMC. This nimble committee will support NPOD's succession plan by preparing three candidates for future NPOD directorship through engagement in high-level decision-making

and connection with UNL leadership. The Administrative Core will administer NPOD's Pilot Projects Program, which will prioritize new and early-stage investigators and those underrepresented in their disciplines, in addition to applications with a clear path to large, multiple-PI funding. NPOD's pursuit of sustainability in Phase 3 will be

guided by the following Specific Aims for the Administrative Core. Specific Aim 1: Increase NPOD's critical mass of investigators conducting clinically important research through the Center's Pilot Projects Program and a new faculty hire in a tenure-leading appointment and expertise in electronic health records. Specific Aim

2: Position NPOD's Research Core for long-term sustainability through growing user base and revenue and leveraging institutional commitments. Specific Aim 3: Increase NPOD's research expenditures through enabling the submission of large, multidisciplinary grant applications and mentoring pilot grant recipients to

success. Specific Aim 4: Prepare a future director of NPOD as part of the Center's long-term succession and sustainability plan through a hire at the rank of associate professor with expertise in in extracellular vesicles and metabolic disease and by preparing previous project leaders to serve as future directors.