The Executive Committee reviews all membership applications, each of which includes a letter from the applicant stating both how his/her research synergizes with the Center and his/her expected usage of the Research Core, as well as his/her CV. Researchers interested in applying for membership should contact the Center Administrative office for information (Mary Beckler, ). Membership in the P30 Center falls into two categories: 1) Full Membership and 2) Associate Membership. The criteria for the assignment of an investigator into one of these categories, and a description of the privileges associated with appointment to each, are as follows:

Full Membership:

Investigators with an established track record, as evidenced by publications and grant support, in the areas of CF-relevant research shall be Full Members. For programmatic areas of research emphasis, this may include basic research on the pathophysiologic mechanisms of CF, the development and application of gene therapy vectors targeting CF affected organs, the development of other therapeutic approaches for CF, and/or the basic biology of disease processes relevant to CF (e.g. diabetes and glucose metabolism). As implied, Full Members of the Iowa Center shall have all benefits of membership, including subsidized access to the resources provided by the Cores. The Executive Committee of the Center will review the research programs of Full Members every two years to assess their eligibility for renewal.

Associate Membership:

Investigators with no established independent track record in CF relevant research or molecular therapy research for CF, but who have recently begun projects with this theme, shall be deemed Associate Members. Since major goals of this Center are to help more junior investigators build funded careers in CF research and to attract new established investigators into the field of CF molecular therapy, the research criteria for Associate Membership are not limited to active use of gene therapy vectors or direct studies in CF model systems. Instead, both junior and more senior investigators whose research interests are relevant to CF molecular therapies and CF pathophysiology, and who have an active interest in moving their research into CF model systems, may be supported. This category can also include pilot participants without previous funding of CF-related research; they shall also receive an Associate Membership to facilitate their research. The status of each Associate Member will be reviewed by the Center Executive Committee annually. Associate Members whose research in areas of CF is found to progress will be made Full Members. Associate Members who do not continue to move forward in independent research areas related to CF pathophysiology or CF molecular therapies will have their membership terminated. Associate Members will have full access to Center resources for projects directly relevant to CF research, including the Cores, as well as to research meetings, journal clubs, and topic-focused group discussions among the Members. This mechanism will support their successful entry into research on CF and relevant molecular therapies. Under certain circumstances, Associate Members who are working to obtain preliminary data for extramural research grants directly in the area of CF may begiven preferential discounts for services provided by the Research Cores to assist them in obtaining independent funding. This Center will assure that mechanisms are in place to attract new, talented, and fundable investigators into areas of research related to CF molecular medicine.