This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. The subproject and investigator (PI) may have received primary funding from another NIH source, and thus could be represented in other CRISP entries. The institution listed is for the Center, which is not necessarily the institution for the investigator. The MT INBRE Administrative Core, comprised of Core Directors (Bioinformatics, Research and Outreach), the Director of Student Programs, the Program Coordinator, and INBRE staff, is directed by the PI, Timothy Ford, who is a senior funded researcher in environmental health and the Department Head of the Department of Microbiology. Dr. Ford provides administrative oversight, chairs the Steering Committee, and, in collaboration with Dr. Allen Harmsen (Co-Director of the MT INBRE Research Core), serves as a research advocate and coordinator of the scientific research conducted under MT INBRE. Dr. Ford is responsible for management, staffing, resource allocation, and administering the MT INBRE in accordance with NIH policies. Adele Pittendrigh, Associate Dean in the College of Letters and Science at MSU and MT INBRE Program Coordinator (PC), is responsible for communication within the network and serves as the liaison between the lead and partner institutions. The PC works closely with the Directors of the Outreach and Bioinformatics Cores and with the Director of Student Programs. She also supervises INBRE staff, including the 1) Associate Program Coordinator (APC), Ann Bertagnolli, who manages the day to day operations of the program, organizes network events, develops Research Conference and Forum programs, works closely with the External Advisory and Steering Committees, and manages program evaluation (including collection, analysis, and reporting of data), 2) Fiscal Manager and Program Specialist (FM), Laurie Howell, who manages fiscal operations and support for all aspects of the project, works with the Director of Student Programs to select INBRE undergraduate and graduate fellows and travel award recipients and manages the Caf[unreadable] Scientifique (MT INBRE's speaker series), and 3) Amy Cory, the Special Projects Coordinator, who handles INBRE PR and maintains a BRIN/INBRE student database. Two additional components of the Administrative Core are the Steering Committee (SC) and the External Advisory Committee (EAC). The SC includes the PI and PC, Core and Student Program Directors, and representatives from each of the MT INBRE partner institutions. Eight members of the SC are science faculty, five of whom are mentors or directors of the thematic research foci. The SC meets twice a year to review progress in INBRE programs, set priorities for research and educational efforts at the baccalaureate and tribal colleges, and make recommendations to the PI for future program development and research directions. The EAC also meets twice a year, usually at the fall and spring annual research conferences so that they can hear Project Leaders, students, and other partner faculty and administrators report on their research and educational activities. Comprised of three members, the EAC works with the Administrative Core to review MT INBRE's performance in meeting its specific aims and evaluating the longitudinal progress of the program. The committee also advises in the areas of research and faculty development, program planning, and identification of resources. In some cases, committee members provide mentoring assistance to Project Leaders, including helping them to identify potential national mentors and collaborators and sources of additional grant funding for their research.