The purpose of the UCSF-NORC will be to promote and grow research in obesity, nutrition, and metabolism at UCSF and throughout northern California. This will be realized by:

• Maintaining, improving, and promoting the interactions and collaborations of researchers in the field with each other and with those outside the field.
• Supporting the maintenance and evolution of state-of-the-art Research Cores to meet the needs of obesity, nutrition, and metabolism research.
• Facilitating the development of new research directions and the entry of new researchers into the field via Pilot & Feasibility opportunities.
• Enriching the NORC research community through pertinent educational forums and other venues that support the development and maintenance of research interactions.
• Integrating administrative support to ensure that the infrastructure meets the needs of the local obesity, nutrition and metabolism research community.

Application for membership can be self-initiated or proposed by any existing NORC member and will be considered by the NORC Executive Committee. Membership criteria for inclusion include the following.

Membership criteria

• The candidate’s research program must concur with UCSF-NORC programs and goals.
• The candidate and her/his research program should be interactive, as broadly defined, with the programs of other UCSF-NORC members. The candidate should contribute to and benefit from UCSF-NORC activities (Enrichment Program, Biomedical Cores, and Pilot and Feasibility program).
• For senior investigators, there must be evidence of extramural funding (with priority given to NIH funding) in a nutrition, obesity, and/or metabolism research program.
• For junior investigators, there must be evidence of a NORC-focused research program with a likelihood of eventual extramural (e.g., NIH) funding. NORC Pilot & Feasibility grant awardees automatically become NORC members.
• All criteria are weighed according to the seniority of the investigators.