Aims of CIRI

HISTORY OF THE CENTER

The Center for Interdisciplinary Research to Reduce Antimicrobial Resistance (CIRAR) was founded in 2004 with the mission of reducing antimicrobial resistance through innovative interdisciplinary research collaborations. Originally funded in 2004 with a planning grant from the National Center for Research Resources, National Institutes of Health (NIH; P20 RR020616), the Center has fostered and sustained a community of interdisciplinary scholars engaged in antimicrobial resistance and other infection prevention research. Since 2007, the Center’s investigators have earned fifteen competitive research, training, and conference grants from multiple external funding agencies, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), and the NIH. In the spring of 2012, CIRAR expanded to become CIRI: The Center for Interdisciplinary Research to Prevent Infections. CIRI embraces a broader mission to further research on preventing all types of infections in a variety of community and clinical settings, although many CIRI researchers and fellows continue their focus on antimicrobial resistance.

WHAT THE CENTER DOES

The specific aims of the Center are to:

Implement a new paradigm of interdisciplinary research on infection prevention.
Build and sustain a community of interdisciplinary scholars who contribute to the body of knowledge regarding infection prevention.
Provide an infrastructure and coordination to support interdisciplinary research teams.
Provide mentorship and support for investigators and trainees for conducting interdisciplinary research.
Foster regular interaction with the broader academic community, the public, media and policy makers regarding interdisciplinary research and the global problem of infections.
Share research results and resources from the Center’s investigations and disseminate widely among scientific and lay communities through seminars, electronic media, etc.
Develop new proposals to continue funded interdisciplinary research related to preventing infection.

HOW TO GET INVOLVED

Researchers and trainees from all disciplines who are committed to developing research skills congruent with the aims of CIRI are encouraged to become involved in the activities of the Center, including monthly symposia, interdisciplinary courses, and training opportunities. CIRI also provides infrastructure to researchers committed to developing interdisciplinary research teams and preparing grant proposals for funding. We encourage graduate students to develop theses and dissertation projects in collaboration with our funded, senior researchers and/or to seek consultation from core staff for interdisciplinary projects related to infection prevention.