One of the highest priorities of the Simmons Cancer Center is to efficiently translate scientific discoveries to the clinic in order to reduce cancer morbidity and mortality. U.T. Southwestem has a long tradifion of excellence in the basic sciences and with the recent organizafion of well-defined Cancer Center programs, insfitufional scienfists are responsible for some of the most important recent advances in translatable cancer biology. Early phase Invesfigator-inifiated translafional research trials require significant regulatory, data management and research nursing resources that are not always available through traditional mechanisms in a fimely fashion. Protocol-specific research support provides a mechanism for rapidly translating insfitutional cancer science to the clinic. These funds are intended to support the programmatic priorifies of the Simmons Cancer Center. Criteria used to assess suitability for Protocol-Specific Research support include: 1. Invesfigator-initiated feasibility/Phase I or pilot trial with exceptional scientific merit 2. The trial must meet one or more of the following criteria: a. The agent or concept to be tested is a product of U.T. Southwestern preclinical science. b. The trial will generate data required for external peer-reviewed funding or for development into a larger, multi-institutional phase II or III trial. c. The trial promotes significant interacfion between basic and clinical scienfists to achieve important correlative objecfives. Priorities for this funding are communicated to the Disease Oriented Teams (DOTs) through the bi-monthly DOT leaders meetings and to the Program Leaders at their bi-monthly meefings. Information flows both direcfions at these meefings as DOT leaders can vet invesfigator inifiated protocol ideas and Program leaders can promote agents or molecules ready for clinical evaluafion. Individual DOTs are encouraged to develop and refine protocol concepts responsive to the Cancer Center priorifies and to seek feedback from the Associate Director for Clinical Research early in the development process.
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