Project Summary (2022-2027)

The Administrative Core (AC) provides the leadership and support needed to realize the Center’s overall goals of addressing complex challenges related to Superfund contaminants including: characterizing mixed and early-life exposures and perinatal health effects in disadvantaged communities; understanding interactions among mixed exposures at hazardous waste sites and in health impact assessment; and, developing novel methods for in situ remediation and remediation of persistent chemicals. Their goals address all four SRP mandates and the needs of key stakeholders, including those tasked with advancing California’s Human Right to Water Law. The Directors and RT Coordinator will work closely with project and core leaders and the External Advisory Board (EAB), engage in regular bi-directional communication and information exchange with the Stakeholder Advisory Board (SAB), plan and coordinate Center activities, and generate and share timely information and tools (e.g., remediation technology, data, and analytical tools) with the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences Superfund Research Program and organizations that can improve public health through regulatory and policy change.

In Aim 1, the directors and RT Coordinator hold monthly center meetings to coordinate overall research progress and to foster, plan, facilitate, and monitor interdisciplinary research and activities across the center, and between centers. They also hold smaller focused meetings such as weekly ToxicTeam meetings focused on data science and sharing. They review progress with the EAB at an annual meeting and interim meetings.

In Aim 2, the directors and RT Coordinator interact with the SAB such as by convening expert committees and hosting workshops and seminars to develop and apply the Key Characteristics (KCs) of Hazard Identification and co-hosting panels at meetings of mutual interest including those organized by stakeholder organizations.

In Aim 3, the directors and RT Coordinator support IIRT by identifying and sharing opportunities for interaction and facilitating related events; by developing plain language summaries and lightning talks with the trainees; and by sharing KC, epidemiological, and exposure data to support assessment, with agencies including CalEPA.

In Aim 4, the AC works with campus offices to license or commercialize technologies and identify pilot sites to test in situ remediation technologies with Bruce Marvin at Geosyntec.

In Aim 5, the researchers host interactive workshops and meetings on cross-cutting topics such as characterization of early-life exposures and interaction of mixtures in health assessment and remediation, using an effective format and presentation-style that is accessible to diverse stakeholders and community organizations.

The directors and RT Coordinator coordinate with Research Experience and Training Coordination Core to ensure a holistic trainee experience and to facilitate trans- and interdisciplinary training and research opportunities; with the Data Management and Analysis Core to promote and share diverse datasets with stakeholders and SRP; and with the Community Engagement Core to engage with community and environmental justice organizations in center activities.