Abstract: The Administrative Core (AC) will support the Program Director of the Center for Translational Viral Oncology (CTVO) during its Phase 2 operation by providing the overall planning and coordination of the mentoring and research for the selected group of Junior Principle Investigators (PJIs). The AC will be responsible for managing the day-to-day operations of the Center, organizing advisory committee meetings, facilitating JPIs privileged access to research core facilities, evaluating new pilots and research projects, and promoting interdisciplinary interactions. This will ensure an appropriate career development for JPIs who have a strong interest in utilizing their most important research findings for the development of new preventive and/or therapeutic modalities against virus-associated cancers. There are three major factors which make the CTVO highly competitive and unique: 1) Access to a unique minority patient population that is disproportionally affected by virus-induced cancers; 2) Experienced basic research and clinical scientists who are dedicated to the study of viral cancers and are highly motivated to serve as mentors and advisors in CTVO; and 3) State-of-the-art Research Core Facilities. The AC is designed specifically to facilitate each of these crucial components through the following specific aims: Aim 1: Provide scientific leadership and administrative structure for coordinating thematic research on viruses and cancer across participating institutions, including peer review from internal and external advisors, and for integration of CTVO with other programs dedicated to research, patient care, teaching, and community engagement. Aim 2: Support the development of highly competitive Principal Junior Investigators (JPIs) through mentoring and career development plans within the CTVO and their Academic Departments. Aim 3: Promote the development, sustainability, and effective utilization of research core facilities, novel scientific techniques and resources while instilling an awareness and sensitivity to gender, economic and ethnic inclusiveness, and equity in all activities. The participating institutions include Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center (LSUHSC), New Orleans; LSUHSC, Baton Rouge; LSUHSC, Shreveport; and Tulane University Medical Center (TUMC), which are responsible for the majority of patient care, research, and scientific training in the region. These institutions support state-of-the-art core facilities, tumor registries, electronic medical records, clinical trial units and bioinformatics. We have engaged these valuable institutional resources and have selected outstanding basic research and clinical mentors to create this highly motivating and competitive research environment for COBRE-supported JPI candidates.