Admin Core

Project Abstract – Admin Core
The proposed Mni Sota Center for Climate Change and Health (M3CH) will develop unique partnerships to
build research capacity related to the health impacts of climate change. The foundation of the M3CH is a
collaboration between three units at the University of Minnesota; the Division of Environmental Health
Sciences in the School of Public Health (EnHS), The Institute on the Environment, the School of Medicine
(SOM), and the Minnesota Electronic Health Records Consortium (MNEHRC). This collaboration brings
together expertise in epidemiology, exposure science, climate science, community based participatory
research, American Indian health and wellness, American Indian culture and governance, rural and agricultural
health, health care, health record systems, and community engagement. Leveraging these resources presents
a unique opportunity to build significant capacity in climate and health research. To maximize the potential of
this center and efficiently grow the center capacity the Administrative Core will be responsible for the following.
1. Facilitate communication and collaboration between the M3CH partners and external stakeholders, including
the External Advisory Board (EAB) to build capacity and enhance the effectiveness of the center. The EAB will
consist of members from different disciplines and sectors with an emphasis on representation from American
Indian and rural communities. The center will develop a process of regular internal and external
communication to build name recognition and a network of partners. 2. Develop and implement a strategic
plan that will leverage the assets of the M3CH and current and future partners to build capacity in climate and
health research. The strategic planning process will include short term goals to initiate the activities of the
center and longer term goals to establish a substantial and sustainable research portfolio. 3. Facilitate the
development of a substantial and sustainable climate and health research program that will extend the impact
of M3CH and facilitate career development of underrepresented researchers. This will include the
administration of a Pilot Project and Emerging Issues program to engage a diverse array of investigators. The
Pilot Project program will leverage the community informed research agenda developed by the Community
Engagement Core. 4. Track the progress of center activities to ensure goals are met. The Administrative Core
will focus on process evaluation while a more formal evaluation of impact and engagement will be administered
by the Community Engagement Core. 5. Ensure compliance with appropriate guidelines for research and
engagement, and specifically the University of Minnesota guidelines for Indigenous Research. 6. Create a data
infrastructure plan associated with projects with attention to data sovereignty. 7Ensure appropriate
management of center resources, activities, budgets, records, and reports. 8. Organize an annual symposium
to share the work of the center and engage current and future partners.

Grant Number: 5P20MD019990-02
NIH Institute/Center: NIH
Principal Investigator: Bruce Alexander