The mission of the Career Development Program in squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN) is to stimulate basic, translational and clinical research in head and neck cancer by recruiting new and established investigators in the area of head and neck cancer. The Career Development Program within the SPORE provides financial support for this mission, while the infrastructure of the SPORE provides a stimulating mentoring environment. The Career Development Program has the following objectives: 1) To recruit physicians, scientists and physician-scientists to direct their research efforts to the field of head and neck cancer;and 2) To train and guide these investigators through the process of developing into outstanding investigators in translational head and neck cancer research, including laboratory, clinical and population science. The faculty within the SPORE has a long-standing record in mentoring postdoctoral fellows, young scientists and research-oriented clinicians for careers in translational research. In the initial funding period, we supported seven junior faculty members in the Career Development Program, including three women, one of whom is African-American. All seven CDP-supported faculty have received peer reviewed funding in SCCHN and/or achieved objective career advancement. We will continue to support two promising translational investigators per year. The currently funded Research Training Grant in Head and Neck Oncology (T32) will serve as one source of research-oriented candidates to fill these positions. The SPORE-initiated recruitment of new faculty will consider candidates identified through the existing recruitment processes, with special emphasis placed on seeking minority candidates and women.
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