Planning and Evaluation

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PLANNING & EVALUATION ABSTRACT The University of New Mexico Cancer Center (UNMCC) has undergone a proactive and very deliberate internal planning and evaluation process that has culminated in the recruitment of new Senior Leaders and the reorganization and reshaping of the UNMCC Research Programs during the current grant period. Following the NCI Site Visit of the UNMCC in February 2010 and receipt of the detailed CCSG review, UNMCC Leadership and Research Program Leaders initiated a strategic planning process. Three Center-wide retreats secured critical input from Cancer Center members. Regular monthly meetings of the UNMCC Senior Leadership group, as well as leadership meetings with heads of the UNMCC Research Programs, Clinical Working Groups, and Shared Resources, were used to obtain multi-faceted input, refine ideas and implement a final plan. An important outcome of these meetings was the identification of key areas for the recruitment of Senior Leaders with expertise in cancer control and prevention, translational research, drug development and early phase clinical trials. The UNMCC External Advisory Committee (EAC) played a critical role in the strategic planning and evaluation activities through annual visits and written feedback. As recommended by the EAC, the UNMCC has established a new Internal Advisory Committee that includes leaders from our Consortium institutions, the University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, and our communities, to enhance strategic planning and evaluation activities as the UNMCC increases in size and complexity. A Director's Lecture Series was utilized to garner advice from internationally recognized experts on UNMCC activities. These ad hoc external evaluations were used to critically evaluate the UNMCC Research Programs and clinical research activities. Following the recruitment of new Senior Leaders in the summer of 2013, a series of Senior Leadership retreats and special evening meetings with Research Program leaders were utilized to evaluate all aspects of UNMCC structure and function. This culminated in a proposal to transform the UNMCC Research Program structure from a mix of basic and tumor-focused programs into four comprehensive programs that each seamlessly span basic research to clinical translation. The four new programs, Cancer Control; Cancer Genetics, Epigenetic and Genomics; Translational Cancer Biology and Signaling; and Cancer Therapeutics: Technology, Discovery, & Targeting Delivery, were subsequently endorsed by the UNMCC EAC and approved by the NCI. The new, more fluid and flexible structure has increased interactions and coordination between the UNMCC Research Programs and Clinical Working Groups. In addition, the UNMCC pilot grant program has been modified to foster the development of the new research programs and promote translational research. Finally, a strategic plan has been developed to align Shared Resource capabilities with the evolving goals and research activities of the UNMCC with an emphasis on enhancing patient-centered and cancer control research activities that address cancer disparities among the diverse, multi-ethnic populations of New Mexico.