Administrative Core
The Administrative Core works to maximize the impact of the OPAL Center’s work. The Administrative Core supports and coordinates the efforts of all investigators and units to create synergies among the Center’s activities. The Core fosters interdisciplinary collaboration, manages the pilot project program, supports training opportunities, monitors Center activities and progress, plans for future research projects, and disseminates information about the Center and the results of its efforts.
Activities
The OPAL Center’s Administrative Core accomplishes these goals through the following activities:
- Support Center activities to facilitate innovative, transdisciplinary translation research that will lead to improved treatments, services, and outcomes for individuals diagnosed with schizophrenia. The Administrative Core provides administrative support to the Methods Core, all research projects, the Scientific Steering Committee, and the Stakeholder Advisory Boards.
- Ensure stakeholders participate in Center research projects from conception to study conduct to interpretation and dissemination of study findings. We are enhancing stakeholder involvement based on our values and on important contributions from our national stakeholders and from local provider and consumer stakeholders on our ongoing and planned work.
- Foster interdisciplinary synergies among research disciplines and the Center’s cores. The Administrative Core fosters communication among its investigators and communicates about administrative needs.
- Solicit, select, and support pilot projects. The OPAL Administrative Core solicits applications for a competitive process to conduct Center-funded pilot studies, each including early-career investigators, that extend its scientific reach and draw upon Center resources and synergies.
- Support training opportunities. OPAL trains researchers to conduct T2 translational research that focuses on improving treatments, services, and their delivery, with the goal of improving patient-centered outcomes in schizophrenia.
- Communicate OPAL’s aims and activities and disseminate information about the Center and the results of its efforts. The Administrative Core uses multiple channels to communicate about its activities and research findings.
- Monitor and evaluate center progress. The Administrative Core will oversee evaluations of each project, the Methods Core and its Units, and of the overall Center.
- Plan future projects. The Administrative Core will work with the Scientific Steering Committee to identify important issues and research questions and facilitate the development of projects to address these questions.
