Career Enhancement Program

University Of Tx Md Anderson Can Ctr, Houston TX

Investigators

Abstract

CEP_CAREER ENHACEMENT PROGRAM: ABSTRACT This SPORE’s Career Enhancement Program (CEP) is designed to nurture the development of early-career and established investigators who are dedicated to developing novel and meritorious approaches to address gaps in diagnostic and prognostic accuracy, treatment, surveillance, and outcomes for patients with lymphoma. Both CEP Directors have strong past records of peer-reviewed funding, team science leadership, recruiting new trainees to cancer research, and mentorship of lymphoma investigators to independently funded academic careers. They will apply this expertise to the CEP, which will identify, recruit, and mentor early-career researchers to perform clinically relevant translational research to improve lymphoma outcomes. The CEP will also support established investigators refocusing their career. We will accomplish these objectives through a scientific research plan, education, and an individualized multilevel mentoring program that enables awardees to become future leaders. Annually, the SPORE will support 2-3 CEP awards, with awardees selected by the SPORE Executive and External Advisory Boards based on the scientific merit of their research, innovation, the strength of their mentoring plan, and their commitment to researching lymphoma biology and outcomes. Each CEP awardee will receive support from two Research Mentors—one in basic science and the other in clinical/translational research—along with a Tiered Career Mentor. Together, these mentor committees will provide guidance and infrastructure support for each awardee to pursue an independent research project, with career development toward successful independent R01-level funding and professional promotion. Research projects will benefit from the supportive environment fostered by the SPORE, with awardees having access to all SPORE Shared Resource Cores. CEP awardees are required to attend all SPORE meetings and will meet quarterly with SPORE Principal Investigators, CEP leadership, and their mentors to review progress. Findings from CEP projects are expected to be presented at national meetings and ultimately published in high-impact journals. Through collaborations with lymphoma research leaders from other institutions and SPORE External Advisors, we will engage CEP recipients in the scientific communities focused on lymphoma translational research and cancer outcomes. Ultimately, CEP awardees are expected to continue careers in lymphoma translational research and become part of our SPORE research team.