Career Enhancement Program

Dana-Farber Cancer Inst, Boston MA

Investigators

Linked publications, trials & patents

Abstract

Project Summary/ Abstract The Career Enhancement Program (CEP) will identify and support early career investigators who seek to enhance or refocus their careers in translational breast cancer research. By providing research support and participation in the SPORE program, the CEP award will expand the pool of researchers in the field and will promote the careers of early-stage investigators committed to translational research. The CEP awards are critically important for sustained progress in breast cancer research, which requires mentoring and training the next generation of investigators focusing on translational research. Similar to the Developmental Research Program (DRP) projects, successful CEP projects may form the basis for future full Projects in the Dana-Farber/Harvard Cancer Center (DF/HCC) Specialized Program of Research Excellence (SPORE) in Breast Cancer. The process for soliciting applications, awarding grants, monitoring research progress, and making decisions about ongoing funding is described in this section. The CEP award mechanism has a transparent peer-reviewed selection process that incorporates defined criteria for funding decisions that includes the commitment and career potential of the candidate to become a future leader in translational breast cancer research, mentoring plan, and scientific quality of the proposed project. Proposals are evaluated and funding recommendations are made by the Developmental Research Program and Career Enhancement Program (DRP/CEP) Selection Committee, comprised of the SPORE PIs and established DF/HCC faculty members from participating institutions as well as patient advocates. A broad call for proposals will be initiated to ensure the most promising early-career investigators receive meritorious funding, and investigators at all DF/HCC member institutions, as well as affiliated institutions, will be eligible to submit proposals. The DF/HCC has a large and talented investigator group to provide a wealth of applications from which to choose, and we anticipate a robust response to each request for applications that is announced.. The overall goals of the CEP are to: (1) Provide funding and mentorship to early career investigators seeking to focus their careers in the area of translational breast cancer research. (2) Develop the next generation of translational breast cancer researchers. (3) Promote a mentoring environment in the SPORE that will assist in the career development of the award recipients and other early-stage faculty members. (4) Provide support for translational research that will generate preliminary data and relevant publications for a full SPORE project or for peer-reviewed funding outside of the SPORE. During the current funding cycle of the SPORE, CEP awards led to numerous high impact publications, government and foundation grants, clinical trials, and one past CEP recipient (J.P.) is currently a Head Executive Medical Director at Agenus. Modified Specific Aims Section The overarching mission of the Career Enhancement Program (CEP) is to attract, support and mentor early-stage investigators seeking to focus or re-focus their careers toward translational breast cancer research. The CEP seeks in particular to recruit and mentor early-stage physician-scientists, clinician-investigators, and laboratory-based researchers to become leaders in translational breast cancer research. The CEP will provide funding and will protect the time of clinical and laboratory investigators so that they may develop their potential as independent translational researchers. The CEP will pro-actively identify mentors and will provide a mentoring structure for CEP recipients. Progress in breast cancer research is largely dependent on training the next generation of breast cancer translational researchers; hence, the CEP awards are of considerable importance in promoting and sustaining the careers of those seeking to obtain translational breast cancer research expertise. By providing research support, structured mentorship and exposure to the entire Dana-Farber/Harvard Cancer Center (DF/HCC) Specialized Program of Research Excellence (SPORE) in Breast Cancer research community, we seek to promote the independent career of early-stage faculty in translational breast cancer research. By its very nature, translational research is multidisciplinary, and the CEP strives to support and bring together new investigators in multiple disciplines, including surgeons, oncologists, cancer biologists, immunologists, pathologists, computational biologists, biostatisticians, and epidemiologists who seek to focus on translational breast cancer research. The SPORE PIs and the CEP Directors will carefully monitor the progress of CEP recipients to ensure effective mentorship and achievement of major milestones. Another key goal of the CEP is to support translational research that will generate preliminary data, lead to relevant publications, progress to a full SPORE project or be eligible for peer-reviewed funding outside the SPORE mechanism. The CEP will be co-directed by Judy Garber, MD and Joan Brugge, PhD. They will work with the Developmental Research Program and Career Enhancement Program (DRP/CEP) Selection Committee, made up of SPORE and DF/HCC investigators, and patient advocates, to ensure broad dissemination of the Request for Proposals, review of applications, and mentor assignment. We will achieve the goals of the CEP through these Aims: Aim 1. Provide funding and mentorship to early career investigators seeking to focus their careers in the area of translational breast cancer research. Aim 2. Develop the next generation of leaders in translational breast cancer researcher. Aim 3. Promote a mentoring environment in the SPORE that will assist in the career development of the award recipients and other early-stage faculty members. Aim 4. Provide support for translational research projects that will generate preliminary data and relevant publications for a full SPORE project or for peer-reviewed funding outside the SPORE mechanism. Modified