Developmental Funds

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT – DEVELOPMENTAL FUNDS Fox Chase Cancer Center (FCCC) requests CCSG Developmental Funds to provide partial support for pilot projects and new faculty recruitment aligned with the FCCC Strategic Plan. Pilot research projects are selected from applications submitted in response to open competitions, with topics proposed by Dr. David Wiest, the Chief Scientific Officer (CSO), in consultation with the Executive Committee of Research. A rigorous review process ensures and ultimate funding decisions are made by the FCCC Senior Leadership of the Center. Particular emphasis is given to applications oriented toward collaborative efforts focused on cancer problems that are significant in the FCCC catchment area, from new faculty, and in response to initiatives outlined in the Strategic Plan. Highest priority is given to projects that have high potential for subsequent peer-reviewed funding, preferably from the NCI. 62 pilot awards were competitively awarded since 2019; to date those projects have generated 29 publications yielding 16 peer reviewed grants and $15.5M in funding over the period – a 39-fold return on the CCSG investment. Promising junior investigators joining the tenure track faculty are candidates for Developmental Fund direct support. Dr. David Wiest (CSO), working with Associate Director for Administration Gricoski, proposes the amount of Developmental Funds to be provided to each eligible investigator. The ultimate decision on pilot funding and new investigator support rests with Dr. Jonathan Chernoff as Cancer Center Director. Future recruitment will continue to emphasize research linked to the needs of the community and FCCC catchment area, aligned with the institutional Strategic Plan. For each of these recruits, and all pilot projects to be awarded, the evaluation of the success of the use of Developmental Funds includes subsequent peer-review funding, clinical trials as appropriate and high-impact publications. The 31 new investigators hired during this funding period have secured $13.7M in peer-reviewed grant support since their arrival—a return on investment of 65-fold from the CCSG funding. Additionally, these investigators secured a total of $3.7M in non-peer-reviewed funds. Future CCSG support from Developmental Funds will be deployed to promote research that is 1) translational, particularly large multi-project awards and/or novel clinical trials 2) innovative projects tied to the five research priorities identified in the Center’s Strategic Plan, 3) collaborations between FCCC programs and/or across all three FCCC campuses, or with neighboring NCI Comprehensive Cancer Centers, and 4) addresses the cancer needs of populations in the FCCC catchment area.