): Developmental Funds NCCC uses discretionary funds in general, and CCSG Developmental Funds in particular, to pursue new opportunities, promote novel transdisciplinary collaborations, and advance meritorious cancer research. In response to the 2008 review, we have retained a priority for investment in new faculty recruitment, where return on investment historically has been highest. Refinement in use of Developmental Funds has been linked to insights arising from planning and evaluation activities. In response to External Advisor recommendations, we have emphasized collaborative initiatives, and Members subsequently have secured an NCI U54 award in Cancer Nanotechnology and NIGMS P20 IDeA multi-project awards in quantitative biomedical sciences and in molecular epidemiology. NCCC utilizes its five-year Strategic Plan to prioritize announcements and financing of projects requesting use of developmental funds. The full portfolio of NCCC developmental approaches includes pilot projects, new faculty funding, interim support, and investment in advanced technology and new Shared Resource services. Recipients of pilot awards totaling $687,853 in CCSG funds secured $16.3M in subsequent funding (see Table 2). We have directed pilot project awards to strategic areas, such as multi-investigator proposals, translational studies, and early phase clinical trials. We have examples of faculty refocusing on cancer-relevant questions (e.g., Stan [CM]), teams subsequently securing multi-investigator awards (e.g., Roberts, Paulsen, and Pogue [CIR]), and junior faculty securing peer- reviewed support (e.g., Danilov [MT]). During the current award period, we received renewal with a 25% increase in the ACS-IRG pilot award program NCCC conducts. Our most recent call for pilot projects secured proposals from over 25% of our Members, indicating the value perceived in this opportunity, and we selected 8 of 24 proposals, including at least one from each Program. We have invested $315,000 in CCSG funds in new faculty recruitments who have secured $10.8M in subsequent peer-reviewed funding (see Table 3). NCCC has in place policies addressing bridging (resubmission of approved but unfunded proposals) and retention (preparation of new proposals) support, both of which rely on NCCC discretionary funds rather than CCSG support. We have utilized NCCC developmental funds to promote Member utilization of new technologies, including deep-sequencing and preclinical imaging. We have augmented services available to Members through existing NCCC Shared Resources by developing new capabilities, such as geospatial mapping and speed congenics. Renewal of CCSG Developmental Funds will support pilot project awards in priority areas such as translational research, new faculty recruitment in strategic initiatives in early phase clinical development and cancer immunotherapy, the 2015 opening of the NCCC-directed floor in the adjacent Williamson Translational Research Building, and collaborative groups around emerging themes such as precision medicine, surgical innovation, and behavioral interventions aimed at cancer risk reduction.
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