PROJECT SUMMARY Core A, the Administrative Core, based at the University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB), will provide administrative, financial, research oversight, and general administrative support related to the program consortium and each individual project and core. The Core will be co-directed by Drs. Patrik Bavoil and Jacques Ravel. The co-directors will be responsible for communicating with NIH Program Officers, the STI CRC Executive Committee, the Program scientific advisory committee, and for organizing biweekly conference calls with key personnel of the Program and monthly with the NIH staff and the entire program. The Administrative Core includes a Program Manager (PM) who will work with the Program Directors and external scientific collaborators to establish timelines and milestones for each approved project, which will impact project budgets, equipment utilization, and the obligations of Program staff. The PM will oversee the day-to-day coordination of the Program as well as monitor the samples and data flow from projects to cores and back. He will facilitate data sharing and dissemination in coordination with Core B (Genomics). The Office of Research Development (ORD), UMB, will handle Intellectual Property Management. ORD will act as the primary interface between UMB and technology offices at the Program's investigator institutions. The co-directors of the Administrative Core will be responsible for the overall scientific leadership of the Program. A pilot Developmental Research Projects (DRP) program will be implemented that will solicit, review and award funds to develop synergizing projects that address the aims of the overall Program. DRP awardees will be closely mentored and expected to submit a grant proposal within a year after the DRP end date. The Administrative Core A will aim to facilitate the running of the projects and cores so that quality information is generated, integrated and available to the scientific community. This will be achieved by providing administrative support to the Program (Aim 1); directing and coordinating the scientific research of the overall Program (Aim 2); assuring that data generated under this Program are available to the scientific community (Aim 3); and support a pilot Developmental Research Project program (Aim 4).