In Phase I, the Autophagy, Inflammation and Metabolism (AIM) center’s Administrative Core (AC) established a nationally unique thematic center focused on autophagy, inflammation, and metabolism. These interlinked areas are of fundamental and biomedical value and impact human health, including aging, circulatory diseases, cancer, infection, autoimmune disorders, neurodegeneration, obesity, and diabetes. Inflammation and metabolism are at the core of national and global health issues, as well as in New Mexico, being driven by health disparities, obesity, and aging populations. The AC coordinated all AIM operations and ensured AIM’s impact at University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center. The AC has overseen AIM’s growth from a local to internationally recognized entity and has catalyzed AIM’s demonstrable impact on the scientific field. AIM publications have a Weighed Relative Citation Ratio of 356.9 (“highly influential set of articles” per iCite definition). All four junior investigators (mentored PIs; mPIs) from the initial cohort graduated by obtaining independent R01s. In Phase II, the AC will strengthen the AIM center based on experiences in Phase I and will lead AIM’s progress toward sustainability. Strengthening mentoring and support for mPIs and other investigators will remain a key focus, with additional approaches implemented to increase mentor skills and evaluate mentoring effectiveness. The AC will coordinate its multi-pronged pilot programs with scientific core utilization. Additionally, the AC will promote partnerships with other IDeA centers. Sustainability planning began in Phase I with a task force, and in Phase II will be under the purview of the sustainability director and a sustainability committee. The long-term goal of the AC is to lead AIM to become a self-sustained, impactful center. The AC will provide programmatic and scientific leadership, evaluation, reporting, approval, and financial oversight. The AC will build the next generation of AIM leaders, formalized through extended individual development plans for graduating mPIs, customizing their roles as they and the AIM center mature. The AC will foster connections with IDeA programs, form an innovative tri-CoBRE council with joint retreats, interact with all stake holders, including advisory committees and the NIGMS program, prepare reports, ensure compliance, and align AIM with institutional goals, in turn influencing them. The AC specific aims are: 1. Strengthen success of mPIs and further increase critical mass of AIM investigators. 2. Augment scientific core capabilities and foster AIM activities leading to sustainability. 3. Set AIM’s vision, provide management, build the next generation of center leaders, and strengthen AIM’s interactions.