Developmental Research Program

前列腺孢子发育研究计划在行政核心的指导下运作。孢子每年拨出150,000美元(加上机构支持)，资助4-5个可行性项目，以产生数据，使调查人员能够申请外部资金。每年1月，西北大学和芝加哥大学癌症中心的所有成员都会收到一份试点项目的申请。有一个由特设审查委员会对试点项目进行同行审查的既定程序。 孢子执行委员会对优先分数进行评分，并做出最终的资金决定。这一进程是灵活的，因为可以提升试点项目，以取代完整的孢子项目，如果进展不令人满意，可以终止试点项目。例如，项目4(PI：Bergan和Catalona)和项目3(PI： Weichselbaum和Stadler)都是试点项目，基于以下原因提升到完全项目状态 取得重大进展。项目2(PI：Crawford、Gapstur和Lee)也已从试点项目提升。此外，调查员可随时向孢子主管提交试点项目。它由特设委员会进行审查，如果审查结果良好，如果有足够的资金，它可能会得到资助。因此，发展研究计划使前列腺孢子能够扩大研究人员的参与，使更多的研究人员进入该领域，以最大限度地提高我们对前列腺癌的研究努力。试点项目的详细说明载于申请书的第12节

The Prostate SPORE Developmental Research Program operates under the direction of the Administrative Core. The SPORE sets aside $150,000 each year (plus Institutional support) to fund 4-5 feasibility projects to generate data that will enable the investigator to apply for extramural funds. In January of each year a request for pilot projects is sent out to all members of the Cancer Centers at Northwestern University and the University of Chicago. There is an established process for peer review of pilot projects by an ad hoc review committee. The SPORE Executive Committee takes priority scores and makes the final funding decision. The process is flexible, in that pilot projects can be elevated to replace full SPORE projects and pilot projects can be terminated if progress is not satisfactory. For example, Project 4 (PI: Bergan and Catalona) and Project 3 (PI: Weichselbaum and Stadler) were both pilot projects that were elevated to full project status based on significant progress made. And Project 2 (PI: Crawford, Gapstur and Lee) has also been elevated from a pilot project. Additionally, an investigator may submit a pilot project at any time to the SPORE Director. It is reviewed by the ad hoc committee and if favorably reviewed and if adequate funds exist, it may receive funding. Therefore, the Developmental Research Program enables the Prostate SPORE to expand investigator participation to bring more investigators into the field to maximize our research efforts on prostate cancer. A detailed description of pilot projects is described in Section XII of the application