# Administrative Core

> **NIH NIH U19** · KAISER FOUNDATION RESEARCH INSTITUTE · 2021 · $1,024,046

## Abstract

We propose to expand the existing Mental Health Research Network (MHRN) to include 14 research centers
embedded in large health systems serving over 25 million patients in 16 states. Existing MHRN infrastructure
will be enhanced to support a next-generation practice-based network, including:
• Increased engagement of patients, health system leaders, and other stakeholders in network governance
 and selection of research priorities
• An expanded public, open-source library of software tools and other technical resources
• More formal processes for conducting feasibility pilot projects and rapid response to stakeholder queries
• Expanded outreach to external stakeholders and research partners
This overall application requests support for an Administrative Core, a Methods core, two Signature research
projects and two Pilot research projects. The Administrative Core, led by Gregory Simon and Belinda
Operskalski, will include an Organizational Unit responsible for governance, strategic planning, fiscal
management, and compliance; an Outreach and External Collaboration Unit responsible for communications,
resource sharing, promoting new collaborations, and supporting feasibility pilot projects; and an Emerging
Issues Unit to identify and address emerging questions for internal and external stakeholders. The
Organizational Unit will maintain and enhance the governance, operational, fiscal management, and
compliance resources proven successful in 8 years of MHRN operations. At each site, core resources will
support effort by a site lead investigator (responsible for supervising local data infrastructure activities and
health system engagement), one or more programmer/analysts (responsible for data infrastructure quality
control, routine descriptive analyses, and analyses regarding emerging issues), and one or more project
managers (responsible for local financial management and regulatory compliance). In the proposed new
funding cycle, patient and family stakeholders will join the network Steering Committee and an External
Advisory Committee will participate in network strategic planning and evaluation. The Outreach and External
Collaboration unit will maintain and enhance the communications tools, resource sharing mechanisms, health
system engagement processes, and external investigator engagement processes proven successful in 8 years
of MHRN operation. A structured process for receiving and responding to requests for feasibility or pilot data
(from either MHRN-based or external investigators) will include a transparent process for timely response to
queries and specific resources allocated to small pilot projects. A structured process for receiving and
responding to queries from health system and external stakeholders will include technical assistance to end-
users and will draw from MHRN's large library of descriptive analyses, standard queries, and computable
phenotypes.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10197803
- **Project number:** 5U19MH121738-03
- **Recipient organization:** KAISER FOUNDATION RESEARCH INSTITUTE
- **Principal Investigator:** GREGORY E. SIMON
- **Activity code:** U19 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $1,024,046
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2019-09-23 → 2024-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10197803

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10197803, Administrative Core (5U19MH121738-03). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10197803. Licensed CC0.

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