The Abramson Cancer Center (ACC) has a well-established internal, Institutional, and external Planning and Evaluation (P&E) process that engages leaders, members, and advisors from multiple disciplines, perspectives and levels. The goal of this process is to guide future directions, set priorities and prioritize investments of the Center while, at the same time, providing ongoing mechanisms to monitor, assess and adjust research progress, Programs, Shared Resources, allocations, and strategies. This cohesive process is supported by highly integrated and effective bodies, such as the Senior Leaders, Executive Committee, Program Leaders, Shared Resource Advisory Committees, and the External Scientific Advisory Board (ESAB), which provides critical advice and feedback from experts. The Planning and Evaluation process has resulted in changes in Program focus, development of new Cores, changes in clinical research operations, and prioritization of Developmental Funds. Complementing these efforts are Programmatic, Divisional and Center-wide research seminars, meetings and retreats that foster new interactions and collaborations with Penn colleagues and external experts. Strategic planning is embedded in the ACC and Penn culture. The ACC plan of 2008-2013 set forth the goals for this period, including accelerating the translation of basic science discoveries into investigator-initiated clinical trials, establishing a comprehensive molecular profiling and personalized medicine initiative, enhancing behavioral interventions to reduce cancer risk, and promoting translation of ACC research. Soon after his appointment, the Center Director, Dr. Dang, defined his vision through 2020, and charged a group to recommend strategies to realize the Center's goals in translational research and precision medicine. A defining accomplishment has been $20M from the Institution to establish innovative transdisciplinary programmatic efforts in translational cancer research, which are fueled by multi-year Institutional grants and resources in high priority areas. Rigorous internal review of Programs, Shared Resources, Developmental Funds, and strategic plan reviews by the ESAB ensure that the ACC continues to strive for excellence and adheres to NCI guidelines. The ACC responds to all ESAB recommendations and then reports on its actions. Taken together, the integrated P&E processes have successfully guided the growth and development of the ACC during the project period.
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