All Developmental Funds within DF/HCC are dispersed by the PI in consultation with the Executive Committee, based on recommendations from internal peer review as described below. We propose to use Developmental Funds in five categories: (1) Recruitment of new investigators who are either minority faculty candidates or whose research focus is """"""""Disparities in Cancer""""""""; (2) Pilot Projects that promote the formation of new nodal point collaborations; (3) Pilot Projects that promote the capturing of emerging scientific opportunities; (4) Timely Special Opportunity Awards; and (5) development of new Core Facilities. In year one, we request $850,000 in Developmental Funds. This is down slightly from the $1 M provided in year 5 of the current CCSG budget. The request increases to $1.3 M in the second year, for the reasons explained below, and remains at that level throughout. Minority/Disparities Investigator Recruitment. A high priority use of Developmental Funds within the Center is the recruitment of under-represented minority faculty candidates in cancer research or faculty candidates whose research focus is in the area of """"""""Disparities in Cancer"""""""". We request $100,000 per year to supplement the start-up packages for these new recruits. Pilot Projects: New Nodal Awards. We request funds to continue a DF/HCC pilot project program aimed at promoting new translational research. These funds will be used to support new projects that foster nodal points, research involving collaborations between investigators from Disease-based and from Discipline-based Programs. Promoting translational science is the central element in the research mission of the Center, and we propose that Developmental Funds be used to support it, in part, by having open, peer-reviewed competitions among DF/HCC members engaged in emerging nodal point collaborations, as described below. Applications will be encouraged in the area of """"""""Disparities in Cancer"""""""", and at least one of the New Nodal Awards funded each year will be restricted to this area. Each funded project would receive $75,000 per year for two years. We propose that four new projects would be funded each year. Since the funding period is two years, this would result in an increase in the second year budget of $300,000. Pilot Projects: New Opportunity Awards. We request funds to. continue a pilot project program within the Center to promote new, cancer-related seed projects that represent rich opportunities but have not yet reached nodal point status within the Center. These awards would be made on the basis of an open, peer-reviewed competition among DF/HCC members. Each project to be funded would receive $50,000 per year for two years, and three new projects would be funded each year. Since the funding period is two years, this would result in an increase in the second year budget of $150,000. Timely Special Opportunity Awards. Funds are requested to provide Program Leaders or Core Directors with small awards for urgent scientific needs of a time-sensitive nature. Applications for these awards can be submitted at any time and would be awarded as described below. Six awards (limited to a maximum of $10,000 each) would be made.each year. New Core Facilities. One of the most important benefits of Cancer Center membership is access to shared research facilities. We request Developmental Funds to support the development of new, ideally, cutting-edge technology-based Core Facilities. We request $120,000 per year for each of two new Cores in development. The $120,000 per year is requested to provide funds to manage the direct day to day activities of the developing facility. No new Core Facility would receive more than two years of designated Developmental Funds' support, but would transition after that time to support from charge-backs or from other categories of funds within the Center.
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