Nanotechnology is a rapidly evolving field of science and the medical expectations from nanotechnology, in the detection and therapeutic management of cancers, are rapidly increasing. The primary goal of the existing Center and the newly proposed Center remains the same: to accelerate implementation of emerging nanotechnologies into the cancer field. In order to achieve this goal, high risk/high gain Seed Projects in new and emerging areas of nanotechnology with limited to no prior experimental data are needed. We plan to fulfill this need by soliciting new Developmental (Pilot) Projects (1 year duration) on a 3-4 Projects per year basis. The funding amount of each of these Projects will range from $20-40,000/year depending on the success level of the proposed cancer nanotechnology solution and the well-justified need for the higher level of funding. These Projects are intended for the exploration of new ideas and emerging opportunities that are distinctly different from, but complementary to, the existing Center Projects. If these Projects are found to be successful, they will be considered for additional support for another year through the Center funds. These Pilot Projects will be subjected to a rigorous selection and approval mechanism as described in detail below. Successful Pilot Projects will also be guided and mentored by senior Center members to obtain separate funding in their later stages so that they could exist subsequently as larger research activities. We have allocated in our budget $70,000 in direct costs for Pilot Projects. A call for proposals for Pilot studies will be sent campus wide as well as to targeted Schools (Medicine, Engineering, and Humanities &Sciences where the Chemistry Department resides) and Departments (Electrical Engineering, Bioengineering, Applied Physics, Chemistry, Microbiology and Immunology, Materials Science) via the Listservs. Proposals will be reviewed by the CCNE EC and selected based on the quality of the proposed Project and how clearly the work is aligned with the overall goals of CCNE-T. These Pilot Projects will undergo the same rigorous evaluation as full Projects. Highly successful Pilot Projects will be in line to advance to full Projects that have reached maturation, ensuring that the CCNE-T will always maintain a minimum of four active Projects. This mechanism will ensure that the CCNE-T is not static, but rather has an active means of rejuvenation via upgraded, innovative, Pilot Projects. We have been currently running such a Pilot Projects Program in our existing CCNE as described briefly above and in detail below. We plan to continue our Pilot Projects Program as is. These Projects address important cancer problems and each has a distinct focus to promote the development of a nanotechnology platform for ultimate application in the clinic.
Showing the most recent 10 out of 143 publications
