Research Project
10203847
Career Enhancement Program (CEP) Project Summary/Abstract As mandated by NCI SPORE Guidelines, the University of Texas Special Program of Research Excellence (SPORE) has a Career Enhancement Program (CEP). The SPORE CEP is funded by a combination of NCI SPORE grant support ($50,000 direct costs) and Institutional support from UTSW and MDACC ($150,000 direct costs) for a total budget of $200,000. With average awards of $25,000, this permits ~8 CEP Awards per year. The Specific Aims of the CEP are: 1. Maintain lung cancer translational research excellence at UTSW and MDACC by recruitment of highly innovative and talented clinical, applied, and basic scientists at all levels. 2. Promote the career enhancement of highly qualified clinical oncologists, applied, and basic scientists, both within UTSW and MDACC and outside of these institutions, with the ability to rapidly translate their findings into clinically applicable utility for lung cancer. 3. Attract candidates with prior experience in cancer at other disease sites who want to acquire expertise in lung cancer translational research. 4. Promote transition of CEP awardees from mentored investigators to successful independent lung cancer translational research scientists including helping them prepare other peer-reviewed funding applications. The overall CEP goal(s) is to fund UTSW, MDACC young faculty with MD or PhD degrees (senior post doctoral fellow transitioning to faculty, Instructor, Assistant and Associate Professor level) who want to pursue a career in lung cancer research and who have prepared an application with high potential for significant impact on lung cancer pathogenesis, diagnosis, prevention, prognosis, or therapy. As part of this program, awardees will have access to Lung Cancer SPORE Core resources (such as preclinical models, Molecular Pathology, Data Sciences), and access to mentorship by experienced lung cancer investigators and patient advocates. CEP Awardees will bring new and innovative ideas and approaches to lung cancer translational research; in turn, they will receive training in new approaches, concepts, technologies, data gathering and analyses for understanding lung cancer biology, pathogenesis, diagnosis and therapy. The CEP is run by the SPORE MPIs from UTSW and MDACC (Minna, Gerber, Roth, Heymach). Applications are scored by the SPORE External Advisory Board (EAB) based on the applicant?s ability and the project?s significance, innovation, approach, research environment, and potential impact. Special efforts are made to recruit women and minority applicants. Over the 20-year history of this SPORE, the CEP has been very successful, leading to a large number of awardees whose careers have been enhanced by the awards, including publications, generation of preliminary information for obtaining other grants, academic promotion, and progression to playing major roles in SPORE Projects and Cores.
