The Nebraska Center for Molecular Biology of Neurosensory Systems: A Collaborative COBRE Project Shelley Smith Professor of Pediatrics Director, Human Molecular Genetics Munroe Meyer Institute, University of Nebraska Medical Center he National Center for Research Resources (NCRR) at the National Institutes of Health has developed the Institutional Development Award (IDeA) Tprogram to enhance biomedical research where NIH funding has been in the lower tier. Twenty-three states and Puerto Rico qualify for IDeA programs, including Nebraska, Kansas, and Oklahoma in our region. The Centers for Biomedical Research Excellence (COBRE) program is one of these mechanisms. COBREs are each organized around a central scientific theme, and the growth of research in that area is facilitated in three ways: support of core facilities to serve as resources, support of individual research projects primarily for junior faculty, and development of a mentoring program to ensure that the research projects result in independent NIH funding. In addition to building a network of successful researchers within a COBRE, regional interaction of COBREs and other IDeA programs is encouraged. In building the research researchers in the participating infrastructure of a state, a COBRE institutions. Thus, the Center can aid program has a particularly unique junior faculty in establishing an aspect: the research projects associated independent research program, and can with the center are generally junior also help make advanced technologies investigators who have not had previous available to researchers beyond the renewable NIH funding, and their Center. projects are designed to be the basis of The Nebraska Center for the grant applications that are funded after 2 Molecular Biology of Neurosensory -3 years of Center support. When Systems is built around the external funding starts, the projects characterization of the molecular rotate off Center funding and new mechanisms controlling the projects take their place. The mentoring development and maintenance of program provides advice to the neurosensory functions, particularly investigators to help ensure that he vision and hearing. Neurosensory cells projects are successful, and the core of the inner ear and retina are not facilities provide technical support for replaced after damage or degeneration, the investigators as well as for other so understanding of the regulation of 59 their development and the mechanisms in Omaha. The University of of their loss are important steps to the Nebraska Medical Center is the lead identification of potential avenues for institution and is the primary site for intervention. the administrative and scientific cores Currently, COBRE projects are and has research programs in retinal funded for 5 years for the first phase, and development and disorders. are eligible to apply for a second 5-year Creighton University has a long- phase. While the focus of the first phase is standing program in the regulation of the support of new investigators, the development of the auditory system, purpose of the second phase is and Boys Town National Research consolidation and strengthening of the Hospital has strengths in the Center, and more senior researchers can identification and characterizations of be supported in addition to junior genes causing hearing and vision investigators. Our Center is currently loss, particularly Usher Syndrome. starting its second phase. The administration of the center is Administration of a multi- handled by co-PIs from each institutional center institution and an Administrator who Our Center for Neurosensory together comprise an Executive Systems is a collaboration of 3 institutions Committee (Table 1). Table 1: Executive Committee for the Center for Neurosensory Systems, Phase I PI: Shelley D. Smith, Ph.D., University of Nebraska Medical Center Co-PI: Bernd Fritsch, Ph.D., Creighton University Co-PI: Edward Walsh, Ph.D., Boys Town National Research Hospital Administrator: Melanie Schrack, University of Nebraska Medical Center Advisor: Kirk Beisel, Ph.D., Creighton University Although a co-PI structure is not investigators and cores and for the typical structure for a COBRE recruitment of additional faculty program, we found this to be very members with interests within the advantageous in coordinating the scope of the Center. The potential for support of the participating pilot funding and mentoring as well as institutions. The Executive Committee the presence of state-of-the-art core manages the overall direction of the facilities can be effective recruitment Center, overseeing the progress of the tools, and the co-PIs are responsible for investigators on the research projects, keeping administrators and reviewing the core facilities, and department chairs aware of the selecting new projects as the initial strengths of the Center in building projects rotate off COBRE funding. The research. co-PIs also act as liaisons with the COBRE projects also have an administrations of their institutions, to External Advisory Committee made up keep them informed of progress in the of individuals who have national and Center and ensure their support for the international standing in research 60 related to the Center. Their guidance person at an annual 2 ½ day meeting in ensures that the research of the Center Omaha, and again in 6 months via e-mail. is at the forefront of the field, At the annual meeting, each project incorporating research questions and investigator presents a 15-minute summary technologies that are current and of their project and progress, followed by a competitive. The EAC for the 5-minute question period. New projects are Neurosensory Center is shown in Table 2. also presented for approval for funding. They review Center projects twice a year, in Table 2: External Advisory Committee, Center for Neurosensory Systems, Phase I Robb Krumlauf, Ph.D., Stowers Institute for Medical Research, University of Kansas School of Medicine Cynthia C. Morton, Ph.D., Harvard University and Brigham & Women’s Hospital Suzanne L. Mansour, Ph.D., University of Utah Kathryn Albers, Ph.D., University of Pittsburg Guy Richardson, Ph.D., University of Sussex, UK The next day, the committee meets each of the investigators, and both of the with the co-PIs and the core directors to EAC reports are submitted to the NCRR discuss the progress of the Center, and then with the annual progress report. meets with each investigator individually The structure of the EAC and its for at least 30 minutes to discuss their evaluations will be unchanged in Phase II of projects and give advice. On the third day, the Center for Neurosensory Systems, with the EAC meets again with the co-PIs to the exception that Dr. Robb Krumlauf will present their evaluation of the Center and to rotate off the committee and will be start to draft their report. The meeting replaced by Dr. Jane Johnson, University of culminates in a seminar presented by one of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, the EAC members which is open to the TX. One member each year will rotate off entire research community of the 3 and be replaced, thus helping to maintain institutions and helps to publicize the the continuity of guidance of the center, but interests of the Center. The EAC finalizes its also adding new input. report over the next month and sends it to Core Facilities the PI, who then distributes it to the Similar to other NIH Centers, the investigators. The EAC designed a format COBRE programs have an Administrative for progress report from each of the project Core and several scientific cores. The cores investigators for submission to them 6 for the Center for Neurosensory Systems are months later. The committee member’s listed in Table 3. evaluations of these reports are shared with 61 Table 3: Core Facilities Administration Director: Shelley D. Smith Administrator: Melanie Schrack Mouse Genome Director: Michael Salbaum (years 1-3), Kay-Uwe Wagner Engineering (years 4-5) Supervisor: Judith Stribley Molecular Phenotyping Director: Claudia Kappan, (years 1-3); Bernd Fritzsch (year 4-5) Supervisor: Anita Jennings Gene Expression Director: James Eudy The Administrative core is based at investigators on publications, presentations UNMC and is responsible for the at national meetings and the annual EAC financial aspects of the Center and its meeting, and grant applications. Mock subcontracts to Creighton University study sections also help the investigators and Boys Town National Research understand the grant review process. The Hospital. It also oversees the activities of mentor and the EAC members can also the Center, including a monthly Journal identify researchers and potential Club, a seminar series, the annual collaborators outside of Omaha, helping the meetings with the EAC, and a mentoring junior faculty members network in their program. field of research. Funds from the Center also The mentoring program is a vital part support travel of each investigator to one of a COBRE. Each of the junior faculty national meeting a year to present their investigators has a primary mentor to give research. advice on their research and on their career The 3 scientific cores provide development. The primary mentor should specialized services that would generally be be a senior researcher who is familiar with beyond the expertise and financial resources the area of research but is not a primary of an individual lab and cover the basic collaborator, thus ensuring the progression of research of the projects in our independence