PROJECT SUMMARY – Administrative Core The primary function of the Administrative Core (AC) of the RCMI@Morgan is to provide oversight of all program activities including fiscal, budgetary, organizational, planning, evaluation, infrastructure development, and technology transfer. The Core is responsible for the general administration, coordination, evaluation of all major activities. AC also facilitates the implementation of Research Projects, Research Capacity Core (RCC), Community Engagement Core (CEC), and Investigator Development Core (IDC) activities. In addition, the AC provides leadership for conducting regular assessments to evaluate the program and identify needs and opportunities, to seek insight and advice from the research advisory committees, and to create an integrated work environment that fosters the development of high-impact research in health disparities. During the next 5 years the AC Specific Aims are to: 1) Provide leadership, administrative structure, management, coordination, communication, and oversight of the entire range of RCMI@Morgan activities; by: (i) implementing an integrated governance and management structure; (ii) providing day-to-day financial management and coordinating all the activities and functions of the Center; and (iv) facilitating the implementation of RCC, CEC, IDC and Research Projects activities; and (v) ensuring timely and effective communication between the AC, RCC, IDC, and CEC leaders, research projects investigators, and NIMHD program officials. 2) Provide administrative and logistical support and ensure proper fiscal and budgetary management; by: (i) managing Core hires and training staff; (ii) prioritizing and allocating funds to other Core activities; (iii) managing all purchases and travels; (iv) monitoring finances and preparing Federal Financial Reports (FFRs). 3) Coordinate strategic activities that promote multidisciplinary research, community engagement and biomedical career development; by: (i) Providing strategic direction and administrative oversight to ensure that the Center activities are implemented in a timely manner; (ii) working with IDC to implement strategic career development opportunities to early-stage investigators and other RCMI@Morgan researchers; (iii) enhancing the capacity of MSU faculty to compete for extramural research grants; (iv) strengthening collaborations and partnerships with RCMI Coordinating Center (RCMI-CC), National Research Mentoring Network (NRMN), and CTSA. 4) Implement mechanisms that optimally enable the Center to efficiently achieve its key outcomes and maximize its impacts; by: (i) working closely with the external evaluator to conduct formative evaluations of all Center activities quarterly and perform summative evaluations annually; (ii) identifying areas of concern and making data-driven recommendations for Program improvement; (iii) tracking project status and level of productivity, and reporting to the research advisory board (RAB) and NIMHD...