External Advisory Committee

An External Advisory Committee of eminent scholars and leaders representing infectious disease, medicinal chemistry and computational approaches for drug development has been created, and the composition of this board is shown below. The EAC meets twice a year, once by teleconference and the second time as a face-to-face meeting at the University of Kansas. During the latter meeting, members review the structure, function and scientific accomplishments of the program sponsored by CBID. They attend presentations made by the CBID-supported scientists and core leaders, and they make recommendations to the PI and co-Is on the quality of progress being made by CBID program. Members of the EAC also meet individually with the project investigators to assess the quality of their experiences in terms of mentoring and the operations of the core facilities, as well as to discuss the scientific accomplishments in their respective projects and their future plans. The EAC also reviews the funding recommendations made by the IAB and makes final recommendations for funding of research project grants.

The advice and recommendations offered by the EAC are recorded, considered and followed by the PI and co-Is, including recommendations to change the funding of investigator projects, to alter the training components of the CBID, or to alter the function and organization of the cores. The PI and co-Is discuss such recommendations with the investigators and their mentors in the CBID, and/or with the directors of the various cores and their steering committees, in order to develop appropriate plans to deal with the recommended changes. Key criteria and milestones are developed together with the investigators and directors to assess performance and accomplishment of goals suggested by the EAC. The PI and co-Is consult frequently with the EAC and IAB during the execution of any substantive programmatic changes and update both the EAC and IAB about progress and outcomes resulting from the recommended changes. These changes are also discussed at the next scheduled EAC and IAB meeting.