Core A

Program project administration

Director: Tayyaba Hasan, Ph.D.

The purpose of the administrative core is to ensure the efficient execution of all aspects of the Program Aims and to maintain quality control within the Program. This includes attention to scientific timelines for each project, scientific review, and coordinating communication of results to other investigators in the Program.

The Core will also provide the Program Director, Project Leaders, and Core Directors with appropriate administrative support to carry out the scientific and administrative goals of the Program Project.

The Administrative Core will perform two broad functions:

  1. Scientific Coordination. Coordination will be maintained through a variety of standard mechanisms which include regular intra-and inter-project/core meetings. Dr. Hasan, with the help of the Administrative Assistant, will oversee these activities.

    Two formal steering groups will be established to provide oversight of the Program: an Executive Steering Committee and an External Scientific Advisory Board (SAB). The Executive Steering Committee, chaired by the Program P.I., will consist of the individual Project and Core Directors. Each member has expertise in different aspects of the Program.

    Specifically, the Core will:

    1. Ensure monthly reviews of the progress of projects and identify stuck points. These meetings will include Project Leaders, key investigators and Core Directors and will be implemented via the Program Website.
    2. Coordinate two meetings per year of the Executive Steering Committee, selected consultants and key personnel in Boston. This will involve travel by the off-site PIs.
    3. Organize an SAB Meeting for a critical review of progress of the Program and to set directions.
    4. Organize one off-site meeting (end of the year) of the Executive Steering Committee following evaluations by the SAB.
    5. An unusual feature of the Core's scientific enhancement function will be to orchestrate a mini-symposium of 1 speaker/year on topics relevant to the Program, but not necessarily directly in the area of PDT. It is anticipated that such a series will provide critiques so as to put the progress of the Program in the larger perspective of cancer biology.

  2. Administrative Coordination. In this role, the Core will:

    1. Track funds for each project. With the help of the office of Research Administration, regular tracking of the funds will be performed.
    2. Coordinate and compile reports to the NIH. This will entail obtaining reports from individual projects in a timely fashion and compilation into a single integrated report.
    3. Maintain records for equipment purchase, repairs and service contracts pertinent to this Program.
    4. Track travel and make most cost-effective travel arrangements for various meetings for both investigators and advisors.

More information

There is more information on the meeting structure and other aspects of the administraion of the Program.