Developmental Research Program

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A major goal of this SPORE and, more specifically, this program is to identify and fund projects that will lead to clinically testable hypotheses aimed at reducing the incidence and mortality rate of head and neck cancer or improving the quality of life of patients with head and neck cancers. The DRP has continued to support new, novel research in head and neck cancer, with 12 DRP awards made to talented investigators (Mitchell Frederick, Ph.D., Ann Marie Gillenwater, M.D., Michael Story, Ph.D., Ho-Young Lee, Ph.D., Julie Izzo, M.D., Vassiliki A. Papadimitrakopoulou, M.D., Mahitosh Mandel, Ph.D., K.S. Clifford Chao, M.D., Pulivarthi Rao, Ph.D., Gianpietro Dotti, M.D., Nadarajah Vigneswaran, D.M.D., and Waldemar Priebe, Ph.D., over the past 4 years. In addition, 12 DRP proposals were submitted in response to the Fall 2006 solicitation, which were recently reviewed and, with input of our Internal Advisors and Executive Committee, will allow funding of three additional awards to Faye M. Johnson, M.D., Ph.D., Ja Seok Koo, Ph.D., in early 2007, and a subsequent award to an investigator from Rice University, Rebecca Kortum-Richards, Ph.D. The specific objectives of the Developmental Research Program are to: 1. Solicit pilot projects in head and neck cancer translational research that have significant potential for reducing the incidence and mortality rate of head and neck cancer and/or improving the quality of life of patients with head and neck cancers. 2. Foster collaborative efforts among SPORE investigators and with other investigators to encourage the development of new and innovative ideas and approaches. 3. Encourage and assist young investigators with promising preliminary data developed with support of this Program to apply for extramural peer-reviewed funding. 4. When necessary or possible, promote the most promising projects in the Developmental Research Program to full SPORE research projects. The projects funded through the Developmental Research Program are diverse but share common themes related to their translational potential in head and neck cancers. In response to our previous review, we have revised and clarified the process by which applications are solicited from qualified candidates, and have initiated a new collaboration, based on an institutional U54 grant ("Partnership for Excellence"), with the Puerto Rico Cancer Center at the University of Puerto Rico to enhance our outreach in soliciting novel developmental projects from qualified candidates, particularly women and minority investigators. We believe these and other changes to our application will significantly strengthen this program over the next grant cycle.