PROJECT SUMMARY- BIOSTATISTICS, EPIDEMIOLOGY AND RESEARCH DESIGN CORE. The overarching goal of the Biostatistics, Epidemiology, and Research Design (BERD) Core is to provide accessible, rigorous research design and analytic support for the partner institutions of the Mississippi Center for Clinical and Translational Research (MCCTR). The MCCTR aims to facilitate clinical, translational, and population health research focused on cardiometabolic and obesity-related disorders. Moving forward, the MCCTR will increase its emphasis on racial/ethnic health disparities, rural health, and telehealth strategies focused on implementation research to improve the health of Mississippians. Appropriately powered, well-designed studies with rigorous analytics are critical to accomplishing these goals. The BERD Core is the central resource for expertise in clinical research design, epidemiology, and biostatistics for the MCCTR and its partner institutions. During the next funding cycle, the BERD Core will continue to support MCCTR investigators and will expand support for the translational research spectrum, including bench science, randomized clinical trials, and community-based research. The BERD Core will provide statistical review of all applications for MCCTR support, helping to ensure that funded proposals will produce clear and interpretable results. The BERD core will also provide full support to all MCCTR-funded investigators, helping them design clinical, translational, and community-based studies, and prepare grant applications based on the results of their MCCTR-supported research. These activities of the BERD Core will increase the quality of applications for MCCTR support, ensure that funding is targeted toward studies that are most likely to succeed, produce will-trained investigators with efficient and successful research projects, enhance resources for clinical, translational and community-based epidemiologic studies, and promote the success of MCCTR investigators in producing high-impact scientific results and obtaining sustained extramural funding.