Cancer Center Administration

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT Markey Cancer Center (MCC) Administration provides efficient administrative support to MCC’s Director, Senior Leadership, Research Program leaders, Shared Resource Facility (SRF) directors and MCC members. Administration fosters exceptional science and impact through the following Specific Aims: 1) Lead MCC’s planning and evaluation efforts; 2) Foster collaboration through inter- and intra-programmatic activities and investing in and leveraging resources and infrastructure; 3) Support MCC’s comprehensive research, education, and community outreach activities; and 4) Support sustainability and business planning. During the current reporting period, Administration has facilitated member science through: 1) creating a new FY24-28 MCC Strategic Plan, which is coupled with a $64.4M financial commitment and investment from UK Leadership in the cancer center; 2) assisting in the restructuring of MCC’s Research Programs; 3) expanding MCC’s Research Communications Office in key areas to continue robust support of CCSG-related activity; 4) driving a 128% expansion of MCC’s Clinical Protocol and Data Management teams, which paved the way for a 56% increase in accruals to interventional treatment trials; 5) overseeing a 78% expansion of MCC’s physical space, which has grown from 128,587 sq. ft. to 228,237 sq. ft. since 2009; 6) facilitating all MCC’s pilot and seed award programs, which have awarded $2.2M to investigators since 2018; 7) streamlining the membership application and review process; and 8) improving MCC’s internal and external communication channels, ranging from upgrades to MCC’s public-facing website to establishing new channels for internal communication among staff leaders. To enhance cancer focus, Administration created and implemented a center-wide policy on determining cancer-relatedness of all grants and contracts listed on Data Table 2. Together, these efforts supported an increase in peer-reviewed funding of $11.1M since 2017 and the addition of 66 new cancer center members. Over the coming five years, Administration will work closely with the MCC Director and Senior Leaders to: 1) implement and evaluate the center’s FY24-28 Strategic Plan; 2) implement the planned expansion of MCC’s capabilities to lead multi-site clinical trials, which represents a $2.2M commitment from the center to build out this new competency; 3) expand MCC’s faculty and staff recruitment and retention practices; 4) expand reporting and analysis capabilities and achieve greater efficiency through the implementation of CCSG data and electronic regulatory systems; and 5) facilitate planning efforts for an advanced ambulatory building, site work for which is slated to begin in late fall 2022. Through robust planning and evaluation efforts, Administration will lead the alignment of MCC functions in support of the center’s Comprehensive Cancer Center status.