MDA-CAP Management Plan


For a list of all key personnel, click here.
The MDA-CAP Executive Committee (EC) serves as the governing board of the program and will be responsible for strategic, scientific, and management policy decisions regarding MDA-CAP. The EC includes individuals [Bannantine, Bermudez, Coussens, Grohn, Kapur, Lein (EAB chair), Olson, Quinn, and Wells] with leadership in bTB and JD research, extension, and education, and a documented commitment to helping the community realize a shared vision, and a history of working together as a team. The EC will meet on a weekly basis in a regular conference call to make all strategic, scientific, and management policy decisions, and advise and assist the PI and the Administrative Core on the implementation of these decisions.

The mission of the Administrative Core (AC) is to:

  • Implement and facilitate programmatic goals and objectives as laid out by the MDA-CAP Executive Committee; 
  • Serve as the primary interface with the USDA; 
  • Facilitate intramural and stakeholder communications;
  • Facilitate interactions with the advisory board and stakeholders; 
  • Provide oversight of project, core, and developmental grant and minority training activities; 
  • Organize the annual MDA-CAP meeting; and, 
  • Serve as the grants administration liaison for MDA-CAP. 

The AC will be located at The Pennsylvania State University and is directed by the PI of MDA-CAP (Kapur). To facilitate and coordinate our external stakeholder communications program, we have recruited a leading expert in the field, Dr. Kenneth Olson for assistance with coordinating the communication and education program activities of MDA-CAP

The MDA-CAP Scientific Advisory Board (SAB) assists with setting research, education, and extension related priorities, review progress of all projects and cores, and based on rigorous peer-review, evaluate the scientific progress and merits of all projects, shared resources, and developmental grant activities so as to ensure that MDA-CAP capitalizes on recent scientific advances while responding to needs in the field. The MDA-CAP SAB is comprised of 12 members, which includes the PI, two representatives (one representing bTB and the other MAP) from each of the research, extension, and education project areas and the shared animal resource, and the Chair or other nominee of the EAB. The SAB is responsible for identifying knowledge gaps, setting research priorities, performing peer-review evaluations of the scientific progress of continuing and developmental program activities, advising the PI and Administrative Core on scientific issues relating to program implementation, and reporting program evaluations to the EAB annually.


The External Advisory Board (EAB) of MDA-CAP serves a key role in the success of the program – its members consist of prominent scientists and public and private stakeholders, including those from regulatory agencies and key members of industry (see letter from Chair of EAB, Don Lein; Documentation of Collaboration - pages 53-55). The EAB provides strategic advice on programmatic matters and ensures that MDA-CAP stays true to its mission while responding to needs in the field. The EAB reviews the scientific programs and other MDA-CAP activities, makes the final decision on intramural resource allocation, and provides advice on programmatic issues to the Executive Committee at least once a year during the annual MDA-CAP meeting or as needed on an ad-hoc basis. The Chair of the EAB is responsible for preparing an independent annual report to the USDA regarding MDA-CAP’s progress in achieving its objectives and milestones.

For a list of all key personnel, click here.