The Administrative Core has four primary objectives: (1) to provide overall leadership and
coordination; (2) to seek opportunities to nurture new population research initiatives; (3) organizes activities to
promote interdisciplinary exchange and build a sense of community around the Center; and (4) implement
cost-effective and timely services to minimize the administrative burden on individual faculty associates conducting
research.
Working with MPRC's Executive Committee, the Administrative
Core sets the vision of the center. It offers opportunities and services that appeal to all of our faculty
associates and even specializes these services to the needs of smaller work groups. The Administrative Core also
takes responsibility for building relationships with our affiliated departments and with the University Provost. It
also takes responsibility for leveraging other service units on campus.
MPRC has experienced growth in its membership and in its intellectual and supporting grant activity. The
Administrative Core has been deeply involved with recruiting population scientists to campus and attracting faculty
in allied fields to reorient their research towards the population sciences. MPRC either directly supports or was
involved in the recruitment of 24 new faculty members to campus.
MPRC has both formal and informal mechanisms to promote interdisciplinary exchange and communication. Our work
groups contain a mix of people across disciplines. The Administrative Core supports the scheduling of work group
meetings and the careful management of each group’s budget. MPRC has also become experienced at planning and
executing conferences in the population sciences. Core staff have helped plan (and host) 13 conferences since
2002.
The Administrative Core provides all aspects of grants management for MPRC faculty associates. It assists in
everything from the planning stages of a grant application through project completion and the closing of the grant.
The core helps faculty develop a budget and works with them to use extramural funding effectively in coordination
with funding available through the University. It keeps a timeline for each grant application, interacts with
faculty to keep projects moving forward and offers editorial services for final drafts of the grant application.
Once a grant is awarded the Administrative Core manages all aspects of post-award financial activity. This includes
managing the payment of personnel and other grant related expenses. The AC ensures that faculty stay in compliance
with federal and university guidelines, managing timely production of annual reports, carrying out post-award
re-budgeting and monitoring adherence to federal and state travel rules. It coordinates activity across units
keeping abreast of the varying ways that departments handle faculty release time, GRA compensation and other
aspects of grant activity. : : MORE
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