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Overall Goal and Specific Objectives The overarching goal of the program is to: Specifically, the CFG focuses on understanding the functions of glycan-binding proteins (GBPs) that mediate biology at the surface of mammalian cells. To this end, the CFG integrates the efforts of its Scientific Cores and Participating Investigators to address for each GBP:
Organization 
The Consortium for Functional Glycomics is comprised of three major components: the Steering Committee, the Cores (an Administrative Core and seven Scientific Cores), and the Participating Investigators. Each major component of the CFG interacts directly with the other two. See an overview of the CFG's administrative and program management plans here. Steering Committee The Steering Committee consists of 13 members who meet every two weeks. It sets the scientific direction and budget of the CFG, and ensures that information and resources generated by the program are disseminated efficiently within the Consortium and to the public. It also approves priorities and milestones for each of the Scientific Cores, with substantial input from the Cores and Participating Investigators. Scientific Cores The Scientific Cores generate material resources, new technologies, and a platform of information that enable progress toward the overall goal. These resources and services are distributed to other Scientific Cores and Participating Investigators for use in experiments that address the Specific Aims of the CFG.
The CFG also provides databases and analytical tools to allow investigators and the community to easily access and analyze relevant data. The Bioinformatics Core (B) generates specialized tools that facilitate a glycomics approach to the goals of the CFG, and creates and maintains databases that offer access to all program information, including glycan profiling data, mouse phenotyping data, gene microarray data, and glycan array data. All participants in the Consortium can monitor up-to-date progress by visiting the CFG website and viewing posted data. 
Each Core is overseen by a Coordinator who is also a member of the Steering Committee, as well as a Core Director who is responsible for the Core's day-to-day operations and attends Steering Committee meetings when needed. The participation of the Coordinators and Directors in Steering Committee meetings facilitates the communication of relevant decisions to Core personnel. Participating Investigators The third component of the CFG is comprised of the Participating Investigators, each of whom has a program of funded research within the scope of the Consortium. In return for resources, Participating Investigators agree to accept responsibility for addressing one or more Specific Aims and to submit the resulting data to the CFG database. The CFG currently has more than 500 Participating Investigators. Several Participating Investigators have Bridging Grants from the CFG that bridge their research to the goals of the Consortium. Investigators interested in joining the CFG as a Participating Investigator are encouraged to fill out an application posted on the CFG website. All qualified investigators are accepted as members. Participating Investigators are divided into Subgroups based on the relevance of their research to the GBP families that are the focus of the CFG. These subgroups foster communication and collaboration among investigators working on common problems, and aid the CFG in identifying priorities to help accelerate progress in the relevant sub-fields. Public Dissemination of Results and Plans The public dissemination of plans and results is accomplished in multiple ways. The most visible is through the CFG website. The site currently provides a wealth of general information about the purpose of the CFG, its policies for dissemination of information and resources, its progress, and its future plans. From this site, investigators can also join the CFG and access resources. Central Database The Central Database is the most important repository of detailed program information and data from experiments conducted using CFG resources. Users can access this information the search function on the home page, which also links to the CFG's specialty databases, public databases, and the Functional Glycomics Update. Raw data and summary data from the four CFG Cores that produce data are accessible through user-friendly interfaces. Databases can also be accessed by clicking the 'CFG Data' and 'CFG Databases' buttons on the home page or by choosing from the list here: Central Database Specialty Databases The CFG also disseminates plans and results via several other routes, including its annual meeting for Participating Investigators, which is open to members of the scientific community who wish to attend and is held in conjunction with the Annual Meeting of the Society for Glycobiology. In addition, CFG results are widely published in journals, and the CFG publishes a quarterly newsletter, The Consortium Quarterly, that is sent by email to Participating Investigators and posted on the program website. The CFG also hosts booths, presents posters and platform talks, distributes flyers at scientific meetings and workshops, and directs public interest to the CFG by placing links in external websites and advertisements for resources in journals. |
