The goal of the Developmental Research Program (DRP) of the SPORE in Bladder Cancer at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK) is to support innovative translational research projects in urothelial cancer by establishing mechanisms for rapid funding. Developmental Research Program funds in the SPORE in Bladder Cancer, supplemented by institutional funds, will allow us to support projects by new and established investigators that are critical to the generation of new ideas in the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of urothelial cancer. We will request proposals for urothelial cancer pilot projects with translational potential from clinical and basic investigators within the larger MSK community, including Rockefeller University and Weill Cornell Medical College. After rigorous peer review by the DRP Directors, Internal and External Advisory Boards, and the Patient Advocate, the most promising new projects from this wide portfolio of developmental research projects will be selected. Preference will be given to projects that complement the long-term research goals of the SPORE and advance our translational research objectives. The DRP may also solicit and fund experimental or clinical initiatives that address an urgent and specific need in the MSK SPORE in Bladder Cancer program or a unique research opportunity. Eligible pilot project applicants to the DRP must have an MD, MD/PhD, or PhD degree in a relevant area of research, be appointed as faculty members at MSK or affiliated institution (Weill Cornell Medical College, Rockefeller University), demonstrate commitment to an academic career in translational research related to urothelial cancer, and agree to participate in all relevant conferences and activities related to the MSK SPORE in Bladder Cancer for the duration of support. The DRP is committed to adhering to and supporting the MSK policies and procedures to promote diversity and strengthen the participation of women and individuals from underrepresented minorities.
Urothelial cancers include carcinomas of the bladder, ureters, and renal pelvis. As a public health concern, bladder cancer is the fifth most common cancer in the United States. The translational research projects in the Developmental Research Program aim to use knowledge of animal and human urothelial cancer biology to develop and test interventions related to the prevention, early detection, diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment of urothelial cancer.
