Developmental Research Program

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Project Summary – Developmental Research Program In the previous cycle, the Wistar/UPenn SPORE Development Research Program (DRP) was led by Dr. Robert Vonderheide, who has since become the Cancer Center Director of the Abramson Cancer Center. The DRP recruited a diverse array of investigators from many fields into melanoma and skin cancer research. The result has been an outstanding number of high impact papers, extramural grants, and two projects graduating from the DRP into full projects in this application. Building on this success, Dr. Meenhard Herlyn and Dr. Ravi Amaravadi, the co-Directors of this SPORE grant will serve as DRP co-Directors in the new cycle. The overall goals of the DRP in the new grant period remain to advance high quality research, foster new ideas, and move research studies from pilot to project status. A second goal of the DRP is to create opportunities for the scientific development of junior faculty or senior investigators who are interested in transitioning into skin cancer research. Our approach is summarized in 2 specific aims and is enabled by a strong commitment for an exceptional level of institutional support from The Wistar Institute and UPenn. The DRP will, in particular, welcome projects on non-melanoma skin cancers and topics not covered by the funded full Projects. Aim 1 is to attract, select and fund the most outstanding proposals with significant potential to benefit the Skin Cancer SPORE and translational skin cancer research. Specific research projects are summarized that represent all cancers of the skin. Aim 2 is to support and integrate the selected pilot projects into the SPORE program with established processes to review and monitor progress. Women and underrepresented minorities will be strongly encouraged to participate. The DRP has a transparent peer-reviewed selection process that incorporates defined criteria for funding decisions. We require that DRP awardees be active in SPORE functions, use the SPORE Core resource, and provide formal written progress reports. Within the context of the DRP, we have established high standards and expectations of the investigators and have established a formal process to review and monitor progress of funded pilot projects. The Program measures success by publications, extramural funding, stimulating new aims in existing SPORE Projects, and elevation to full projects for the future.