The Pilot Project Program is an important part of the Duke SPORE in Breast Cancer. Combined with the Planning Grant in Breast Cancer (an NCI R21, or 'baby SPORE'), we have provided $750,000 to a diverse group of investigators at Duke during the past three years. This funding was critical to building a vital and productive breast cancer research program and bringing together the expertise and resources to successfully garner a SPORE grant. The SPORE provided three pilot proposal substantial support for two years. These grants were reviewed competitively during our first submission and each emphasized development of novel therapeutics. In the third and final year of our SPORE, we chose three projects that emphasized susceptibility genetics. These proposal were selected from a field of 25 submissions answering a Cancer Center-wide RFA. Each submission was limited to two pages and an abbreviated budget salary support and supplies (no equipment or travel). Selection was done by a subcommittee appointed by the Direction and approved by the Executive Committee. During the fourth and fifth years covered by this supplement, we propose to allocated $40,000 each year to pilot projects and to recruit and select two or three by the same mechanism outlined for the current year. The reduction of support for this Program is justified by: 1.) A competitive renewal will be submitted during the fourth year, 2.) The SPORE will concentrate on finishing its six major projects supported by a reduced overall budget, and 3.) We have created a diverse based of research by granting an unprecedented number of small and moderate-size grants during the past three years.
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