PROJECT SUMMARY. The proposed Mississippi Center for Clinical and Translational Research (CCTR) will be a partnership involving the University of Mississippi Medical Center, the University of Southern Mississippi, and Tougaloo College, a historically black college/university, and two collaborating research centers, the Louisiana Clinical and Translational Research Center, and the Mayo Clinic Center for Clinical and Translational Science. CCTR research will focus on obesity and related conditions, and on factors contributing to racial and ethnic health disparities in rates of obesity and its complications. The CCTR Administrative Core Leader will be Dr. James Wilson, who will have ultimate responsibility for implementing all activities of the proposed CCTR. The Administrative Core will be responsible for managing, coordinating, and supervising all CCTR activities and for aligning its resources and activities to maximize success. The Administrative Core will establish a flexible and responsive governance structure with mechanisms to monitor progress toward goals and milestones and a capacity to re-direct resources as needed for maximal impact. It will establish a Community Advisory Board and will actively engage with Mississippi's communities to guide the focus and activities of the CCTR. It will implement policies and procedures that clearly delineate the authority and responsibilities of the CCTR Director, Core Leaders, Advisory Committees, employees, and investigators to optimize coordination and efficiency of CCTR activities. The Administrative Core will establish an annual strategic planning process to identify strengths and address weaknesses of the CCTR cores and Pilot Projects Program, to improve the quality, effectiveness and profile of CCTR resources and services, and to improve communication and coordination among the CCTR components. Finally, the Administrative Core will convene Internal and External Advisory Committees to perform periodic reviews and provide recommendations to improve the performance and results of the CCTR. Rigorous, flexible, and accountable management of CCTR resources and services by the Administrative Core will build an efficient and powerful research center that will attract additional extramural resources from government, philanthropic, and industry sources to ensure the long term success of the CCTR in addressing obesity and obesity-related diseases and improving health care and outcomes among Mississippi's citizens.