Administrative Core

The Administrative Core (AC) serves as the central hub for Alaska INBRE operations, coordinating funding opportunities, supporting research activities and training, and ensuring collaboration across the statewide network. It plays a key role in advancing INBRE’s mission to grow biomedical research capacity in Alaska’s health science workforce.

Administrative Core Aims:

Specific Aim 1. Manage all activities in the AK INBRE 5 network including oversight of the SC, EAC, and the EC. The AC will provide full administrative and fiscal management, support grant staff at partner institutions, and ensure accurate and timely progress reports. The AC will oversee the Evaluation Plan for AK INBRE 5 including metrics and benchmarks, and ensure timelines are appropriate for students, faculty and investigators, and network components to enable formative and summative evaluation of the network informing the PD/PI, PC, Core Directors, and Executive Committee (EC), Steering Committee (SC), and External Advisory Committee (EAC) members about network performance and impact.

Specific Aim 2. Promote and process investigator and student applications across the AK INBRE 5 network for programmatic opportunities. The AC is the nexus of the AK INBRE 5 program, providing clear communication, open processes, and access to all network partners.

Specific Aim 3. Engage undergraduate students in One Health, biomedical, and behavioral research to build a pipeline of biomedical scientists and enhance science and technology training of the state’s current and future workforce. The SRP will provide multiple entry points into biomedical research, including from DRPP-supported research at network institutions, enhanced research experiences, workshops, and student travel support.

Specific Aim 4. Provide career development and networking opportunities to faculty, investigators, and students within the AK INBRE 5 network. The AC will offer career development and networking opportunities, including the network-wide annual research conference and other workshops identified by each core. Through participation in RAIN (Regional Alliance of INBRE Networks), AK INBRE 5 will collaborate with other INBRE programs in the Western IDeA Region, expanding opportunities for all.

Core Leadership & Coordination

The AC provides administrative, fiscal, and coordinate all activities for the entire INBRE network, which includes the University of Alaska system, Iḷisaġvik College, the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium (ANTHC), and Southcentral Foundation (SCF). The AC is led by the Program Director Jason Burkhead, the Program Coordinator Kristin O’Brien, and the Program Associate Director Julie Benson.

Student Researcher & Researcher Development

The AC leads the Student Research Program (SRP)—a statewide initiative that engages undergraduates in One Health, biomedical, and behavioral research. Through mentorship, training, and conference participation, SRP builds a pipeline of future scientists prepared to address Alaska’s health challenges.

Additionally, the AC supports career development for researchers and investigators through research awards, workshops, mentorship, and opportunities for interdisciplinary collaboration. These efforts promote inclusive participation and career advancement throughout the network.

Program Oversight & Evaluation

To ensure strategic progress, the AC manages the Evaluation Plan and tracks outcomes across all cores and activities. It supports the work of three oversight committees: Executive, Steering and External Advisory Committees.

Executive Committee (EC) – Provides bottom-up guidance to program leadership.
Steering Committee (SC) – Provides high-level guidance and institutional alignment.
External Advisory Committee (EAC) – Offers independent evaluation and strategic recommendations.

The AC uses feedback from these committees to inform continuous improvement, ensure transparency, and document program impact.

Expanding Collaboration & Access

The AC fosters network-wide engagement by promoting open application processes and inclusive communication. It organizes annual research conferences and workshops, facilitates travel support, and enhances access to research and training opportunities across all partner institutions.