RESEARCH & RELATED - OTHER PROJECT INFORMATION - PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT The Administrative Core (Core A) is a centralized facility designed to manage all operations related to this Program Project Grant (PPG). It facilitates the interactions between the collaborating laboratories and is located within the Center for Drug Discovery (Northeastern University). During this cycle, the Administrative Core has been functioning very effectively. Suitable modifications were made to accommodate new directions and personnel changes in order to achieve a more focused and integrated approach. The major tasks of this Core component will continue to be: a) communicating the central scientific theme to which all component projects will direct their research efforts and maintain a focused approach while fulfilling the PPG’s overall specific aims; b) managing the fiscal aspects of the PPG, maintain financial records and other administrative functions; and c) promptly and properly distributing or coordinating the distribution of materials (novel ligands; other ligands developed in the PI’s laboratory; receptor mutants) produced under the auspices of Core B and the individual Projects (1, ,2, and 3). The Administrative Core also takes responsibility for synchronizing the operations and communications between the individual laboratories involved in the PPG and other laboratories which interact collaboratively at no cost to the project. This effort includes recording and distributing materials produced to the participant laboratories and to the collaborating laboratories, together with maintaining and updating the database related to this multidisciplinary collaborative effort. Additional specific coordinating efforts include maintaining regular telephone conferences, the yearly group meeting of participants and collaborators, as well as other communications and the quarterly meetings with the Internal Advisory Committee, as well as the yearly formal meeting with the External Scientific Advisory Committee. The Administrative Core will manage the shared resources that are required for the performance of the interrelated tasks for the individual research projects. General administrative support related to this Program Project, including financial management, correspondence and preparation of reports and proposals, will also be provided by this Core Facility. The administrative portion of this grant seeks to keep all three Projects (1, 2, and 3) and Core B focused on the overall research goals and to enhance communication between each branch of the grant. It will enhance the ability of collaborating laboratories to focus on the central PPG’s overall goal which is the development of therapies for pain, addictive, inflammatory and fibrotic disorders.