Developmental Core

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The Development Core (DC) will contribute to the SoCa Center’s mission to reduce cancer health inequities in persistent poverty areas (PPAs) in the New York City (NYC) Region by helping junior faculty, especially from groups underrepresented in the biomedical workforce (URiBW), develop new pilot research projects and preliminary data necessary for future extramural funding, and successfully compete for K and R-level grant mechanisms. The SoCa DC builds on a 20-year track record of exemplary outcomes among programs that promote diversity in the biomedical research workforce at Downstate Health Sciences University (Downstate), Cornell University (CU) and Columbia University Irving Medical Center (CUIMC). To address career development barriers, the DC will fund innovative pilot projects, led by early career faculty from URiBW backgrounds at SoCa partnering institutions. The DC pilot project recipients will be fully integrated into training and mentoring opportunities funded through the Career Enhancement Core (CEC), have access to a robust Research and Methods Core (RMC) to support the pilot projects, and participate in networking and career development activities organized by the Administrative Core (ADMIN). Further, we will fully integrate the SoCa Community Advisory Board (CAB) as partners in the prioritization, co-production, and dissemination of pilot projects, and review of future proposal submissions. In Aim 1, we will establish a SoCa pilot project program that will support 25 cancer health equity pilot projects (5 per year). The SoCa DC will directly fund 2 pilot projects per year. Downstate, CUIMC, and CU will each provide additional pilot funds to maximize cancer equity research activities. URiBW early career faculty from Downstate, CUIMC, CU, and SoCa Scholars are eligible to apply. In Aim 2, we will enhance collaboration and synergy to develop new pilot project ideas by coordinating a SoCa Hub, which will provide centralized resources for URiBW early career investigators to participate in longstanding research cohort studies. SoCa Hub resources will be housed and maintained on the SoCa website as described in the ADMIN. URiBW faculty across all Minority Serving Institutions in NYC with an interest in cancer health equity will be eligible to participate. In Aim 3, we will expand a Mock Study Section program, that will engage participants from the SoCa Hub, SoCa Scholars (from CEC), SoCa pilot project PIs with opportunities to undergo an NIH-level review process for K or R-level grant submissions. Mock Study Sections will be comprised of SoCa faculty with NIH review experience. The SoCa DC will develop a critical mass of diverse scientists who will promote cancer health equity in NYC persistent poverty areas.