Over the last 16 years, our group has successfully managed the coordinating unit (CU) for the NIDDK funded Diabetic Complications Consortium (DiaComp 2001-present, formerly the Animal Models of Diabetic Complications Consortium). DiaComp provides an environment to foster communications and collaborations between investigator communities involved in diabetic complications research. Toward this goal, DiaComp sponsors annual meetings in complications-relevant scientific areas, solicits and funds pilot projects in high impact areas of complications research, and supports a website to serve the diabetic complications community. During the previous five year funding cycle, the CU was responsible for continuing support for DiaComp through the use of opportunity pools (funding), manage/maintain the website and phenotyping data and administratively organize the meetings and workshops sponsored by the DiaComp to engage the greater diabetic complications scientific community. Our laboratory has been the CU for DiaComp for the last 16 years. The CU is responsible for creating and maintaining the administrative, scientific and informatics infrastructure necessary to organize and facilitate consortial operations. The goal of this proposal is to provide that infrastructure. We will build upon the success of the current DiaComp CU infrastructure to provide DiaComp with a robust and comprehensive service oriented solution that supports the unique aspects of this consortium.

The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) is providing funds to establish the coordinating unit (CU) for the Diabetic Complications Consortium (DiaComp) programs. The CU will coordinate the interactions of the DiaComp awardees, provide financial management for opportunity pool programs, interact with the Executive Steering Committees and External Evaluation Committees as well as provide a national web portal for DiaComp in order to disseminate information and provide an organizational infrastructure for the program. This application will provide the infrastructure for the CU for DiaComp.