Abstract The Administrative Core of Cherokee Nation Native American Research Centers for Health (Cherokee NARCH) provides the organizational hub for the jointly conducted student career enhancement, capacity building, and research/pilot research projects that comprise Cherokee NARCH. Cherokee NARCH is novel, yet complex, as it includes alliances with universities that train amongst the largest numbers of American Indian students in the United States. To address this complexity, the Administrative Core establishes shared leadership between the participating institutions, a Tribal/Campus Advisory Committee, and processes and procedures for regular communication and decision making among the Cherokee NARCH partners. The research, capacity building, and training activities of Cherokee NARCH are integrated and mutually reinforcing, with the ultimate goal of providing Cherokee Nation with the capacity to pursue independent research to address tribal health disparities. The Administrative Core specific aims are to: 1) provide joint leadership and infrastructure to ensure effective operational oversight; 2) conduct rigorous planning and implementation processes for all Cherokee NARCH projects; 3) conduct program evaluation to gauge overall success of Cherokee NARCH; 4) and pursue funding to ensure sustainability of our efforts to increase research capacity at Cherokee Nation. A major goal of Cherokee NARCH is to build the foundation for future tribally engaged cancer research. The Administrative Core proposed herein is essential to this effort, as it ensures that all aspects of the program are integrated into a collaborative effort addressing health disparities and research needs for Cherokee Nation.