COORDINATION AND COMMUNICATION PLANS OF THE PARTNERSHIP
Internal Partnership Communications
The Administrative Core oversees coordination and communication for the Partnership. Specifically, it
- Monitors progress on the research objectives and projects.
- Facilitates communication among investigators at MSM, TU, and UAB O’CCC.
- Communicates progress amongst the partnering instistutions, the NCI, the Internal Advisory Committee, and the Program Steering Committee.
- Reviews and facilitates communications to the scientific community at large and to the public.
- Coordinates and schedules meetings and conferences.
Partnership Oversight: The Partnership Leadership Committee (PLC) and two advisory committees, the Internal Advisory Committee (IAC) and the Program Steering Committee (PSC) provide oversight for the Partnership.
Partnership Leadership Committee (PLC): The PLC, consisting of PIs, co-Leaders of the cores, and program managers of all three institutions, provide administrative oversight for the Partnership activities. The PLC meets by conference call every month (2nd Thursday) and thrice a year face-to-face: bi-annual IAC meetings (one IAC meeting is combined with the Cancer Research Symposium) and the PSC. Additionally, the PLC meets, in person, at Partnership Retreats, particularly in the beginning of the funding cycle, prior to submission of the competitive renewal application, and for specific events as needed. These calls and meetings are the primary means by which the leaders of each of the cores, programs, and shared resources communicate with each other. This committee ensures that Partnership-wide goals and objectives are being met. Additionally, if requested, the PIs link with other investigators, who are not part of the Partnership, at their institions to establish collaborations.
Internal Advisory Committee: This body is comprised of two senior investigators from each of the three institutions who are not directly associated with the Partnership. The members have complimentary expertises. They review partnership activities to insure that the evaluation of these activities is not affected by conflicts of interest. They meet twice a year.
Program Steering Committee: This is the external advisory committee for the Partnership. It includes five experts in different disciplines that are aligned with the focus of the Partnership. The NCI Program Director serves as an ex-officio member. The PSC provides guidence and oversight for all activities of the Partnership and approves new proposals and initiatives. It receives a writen progress report and meets face-to-face annually. Its membership is listed in the U54 proposal.
Program Communications across Partner Institutions: Although not regularly scheduled, the leaders of each of the programs communicate frequently by phone and face-to-face to plan and conduct joint activities (e.g., workshops/strategic planning). They additionally meet at the Partnership Retreats, at IAC and PSC meetings, and at the annual Cancer Research Symposium.