The current system of funding in this country often precludes the ability of investigators to take chances on high risk research ideas. Our developmental research program was designed to fund pilot projects that emphasize new ideas and translational research from new as well as established investigators. Approximately $200,000 per year has been allocated for four to five pilot proposals. Approximately $25,000 per year has been allocated for student research proposals/stipends to attract undergraduate and graduate students to the field of translational prostate cancer research at the University of Michigan. Investigators are invited to submit proposals in the form of a five page proposal to the Executive Committee of the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center (UMCCC) Prostate SPORE through a University- wide announcement. Investigators with proposals which are translational in nature are then invited to make a presentation to the operating committee. The Operating Committee than rank proposals for funding based on scientific merit by secret ballot. Student projects are chosen by an abstract from the student and a letter of recommendation from their mentor. Investigators of all the submitted proposals are invited to take part in SPORE meetings and activities to promote dissemination of knowledge and promote interactions among investigators. Proposals chosen for funding are assign a basic science and clinical resource person from the Operating Committee to meet with on a regular basis to ensure that the translation goals of the Prostate SPORE are being met. Pilot project investigators present their research two times per year t the SPORE seminar series. Competition for these awards has been vigorous and we have been able to fund 20-30% of applications. To date, the UMCCC SPORE has funded 16 faculty development awards and 13 student awards. We believe that this developmental research program has been highly interactive between old and new investigators to the field of prostate cancer research and has simulated high risk translational projects. Two of the faculty development projects from the first two years of the SPORE grant have evolved into full projects and have been included in this application.
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