Developmental Research Program

University Of Miami School Of Medicine, Coral Gables FL

Investigators

Abstract

The Developmental Research Program (DRP) of the PeRsonalized Outreach and Multifaceted Interventions for Screening Enhancement (PROMISE) for Anal and Cervical Cancer Prevention & Treatment Specialized Programs of Research Excellence (SPORE) aims to foster groundbreaking innovations to reduce illness and death from cancers that significantly impact vulnerable populations, and create a pipeline of translational investigators committed to reducing cancer in these populations. Our proposal is focused on Blacks, Hispanic Americans, and other group populations disproportionally affected by cancer. While our program has been designed to address cancer different outcomes within these populations, our primary emphasis will be on anal cancer (AC) and cervical cancer (CC) due to their high prevalence in our target populations within South Florida and Georgia. Through these collaborative, multi-institutional efforts, the objectives of the DRP are to fund innovative and impactful community-driven research priorities to address the underlying issues that create cancer different and poor outcomes in our target populations; solicit high-risk and high-payoff translational research Pilot Projects and create a pipeline of translational investigators; leverage institutional funds to extend the capacity of the pilot initiatives and to facilitate access to existing Core resources within the participating institutions. For example, DRP awardees will have access to biostatistics, biospecimens, data management, and state-of-the-art Cores to facilitate the progress of the Pilot Projects. The Co-Directors have secured institutional support and commitment to provide additional funding, thereby expanding the scope and impact of the Pilot Projects. They will provide oversight and guidance to pilot awardees to ensure research progress and facilitate a pathway toward securing extramural grants. An Oversight Planning Committee will be established to develop and implement guidelines that ensure national expansion of investigators engaged in transitional AC and CC research to improve cancer outcomes in at-risk communities, both now and in the future, while providing comprehensive support and mentorship to investigators who have currently been chosen to have their projects supported through the PROMISE DRP. We believe that this mechanism is an effective way to promote translational research and address knowledge gaps that can negatively affect cancer outcomes in our target populations.