ADMINISTRATIVE CORE Project Summary/Abstract The mission of the Mississippi INBRE (MS INBRE) is to enhance biomedical research capacity of Mississippi through building a network of colleges and universities to promote competitiveness, provide access to infrastructure to enable discovery, and establishing a pipeline of students into research and careers that impact health. Through these activities MS INBRE will continue to positively address health disparities that plague Mississippians. The role of the Administrative Core (AC) is to provide leadership and organizational support for the network and coordinate the activities of all cores to ensure the program's three main goals are accomplished: 1) Improve research capabilities at MS Primarily Undergraduate Institutions (PUIs); 2) Build capabilities and collaboration among academics and community-based organizations; and 3) Develop a skilled and diverse workforce in biomedical research and health-related. As the only statewide network that engages all biomedical researchers in the state, it is critical that the AC efficiently coordinates network activities to maximize impact. The MS INBRE cores have been designed to work synergistically to accomplish the overall mission of promoting biomedical research excellence and workforce capacity of the state of MS. The AC provides logistical support and oversight for all network cores. MS INBRE policies and procedures are developed with active participation of the Steering Committee (SC) and the External Advisory Committee (EAC). We have developed the following aims to efficiently carry out the goals of MS INBRE: 1) Provide leadership and administrative support for all MS INBRE activities; 2) Establish and support research at PUIs and community-based organizations (CBOs); 3) Enhance educational opportunities for students to enhance the biomedical workforce; 4) Broaden participation of women and minorities in biomedical research and health- related careers; 5) Promote sustainability and support of core facilities; 6) Represent MS regionally and nationally; and 7) Coordinate formative and summative evaluations of all cores and the overall program.