The specific aim of this grant is to mentor young clinical investigators, primarily in the area of research related to the control of symptoms caused by cancer and/or cancer therapy. A time comes in an investigator's career when a previously mentored person becomes the mentor. Although it might not be easy to admit, being more than half way through my career, I have made the transformation from primarily being mentored, to being a mentor. I am currently the Director of the Cancer Control Program of the North Central Cancer Treatment Group (NCCTG) as well as the co-director of the Cancer Prevention and Control Program of the Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center. I have been the Principal Investigator of a community clinical oncology program (CCOP) research base grant for over a decade and have received R01 grant funding in the past. The last two competitive renewals of the CCOP research base grant that I submitted both received an identical outstanding score, that being 123. Through this effort, I have, arguably, developed the most productive program in the world designed to evaluate means of alleviating symptoms caused by cancer and/or cancer therapy. Using this background, with the funds obtained from this grant I will provide mentorship for young clinical investigators interested in a career in clinical research related to relief of symptoms from cancer and/or cancer therapy. I will use an """"""""on-the-job"""""""" training approach to help them with the development of applicable protocols. I will mentor them through the protocol review process, through the conduct of the clinical trial, and through the process to report results as a manuscript. I will facilitate their leadership of subsections of the Mayo Oncology Symptom Control Program. I will facilitate their development of independent grant funding. I view this as a process of succession planning, expecting that one or more of these mentored individuals will eventually take my place and continue to promulgate the symptom control research program that we have here, allowing them to mentor the next generation of investigators. This role as a mentor allows me to give back to the scientific field some of the fruits from the mentoring that was provided to me in my early career. This should allow for continued investigation for promising means for alleviating symptoms related to cancer and/or cancer therapy. This will allow for improved care of patients with cancer.
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