CEP: Career Enhancement Program

The mission of the Hillman Cancer Center (HCC) Ovarian Cancer (OvCa) SPORE Career Enhancement Program (CEP) is to foster the development of independent translational ovarian cancer researchers who will impact ovarian cancer care. This includes supporting not only outstanding early career scientists, but also experienced investigators wishing to transition their careers into translational ovarian cancer research, or clinical investigators well versed in the design and performance of clinical trials who wish to broaden their translational research experience. The CEP will provide funding, access to SPORE resources, and a supportive research environment. Proposals will be solicited annually and use an NIH-style peer-review scoring system to prioritize projects for funding. Projects will be funded for 2 years at $50,000 per year, with half the monies coming from CEP and the other half from institutional funds. The second year of funding will be contingent on progress made during the first year. The CEP Co-Directors, SPORE Executive Committee, and SPORE investigators will participate in the review process, together with Patient Advocates and ad hoc expert reviewers when necessary. The final selection of awardees will be made following a second tier review involving the SPORE Internal Advisory Board (IAB). CEP awardees will be matched with an appropriate SPORE mentor and provided full access to the HCC OvCa SPORE Core resources, including tissue specimens and bioinformatics/biostatistical support. The CEP will directly facilitate career development through: i) constructive proposal review and feedback; ii) research training with a mentor chosen from among diverse faculty with broad expertise and experience in academic career development; and iii) access to development programs, including monthly ovarian cancer research group meetings, monthly SPORE meetings, the annual HCC and Magee Womens Research Institute retreats, and the annual SPORE retreat. The CEP will track progress of awardees and ensure that they obtain any needed services from SPORE Cores, and make certain that they are fully integrated into the SPORE program. Awardees will meet regularly with mentors and will be encouraged to participate in courses in clinical and translational research to further enhance their career development. Projects that show the greatest likelihood of impact and translation to the clinic can evolve into future full SPORE projects. Awardees will also be advised as appropriate in the preparation of grant applications for funding outside the SPORE mechanism and given access to SPORE resources to aid in this endeavor. These procedures were developed via a previous joint P50 award that resulted in a 12-fold return on investment for CEP projects. Ultimately, the CEP provides a vital mechanism for achieving the SPORE’s goal of developing the next generation of ovarian cancer researchers committed to overcoming this deadly disease.