Developmental Research Program

The purpose of the Developmental Research Program of the MSK SPORE in Soft Tissue Sarcoma is to support innovative translational research projects in sarcoma. The translational research projects in this program aim to use knowledge of animal and human sarcoma biology to develop and test interventions related to improving diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment of patients with soft tissue sarcoma. This program will allow us to respond quickly to new opportunities in translational research and will help us recruit new scientific talent into our SPORE and, more broadly, into sarcoma-relevant research. The specific aims of the Developmental Research Program are: 1) to provide seed funding for innovative, investigator-initiated research in the biology, pathogenesis, progression, and natural history of sarcoma, and 2) to fund research with exceptional potential to advance the translational research goals of the SPORE. We are budgeting $400,000 yearly for this program including $50,000 from the SPORE award itself and $350,000 in MSK institutional and philanthropic funds (via the MSK Sarcoma Center) to support at least two awards per year. The priority for funding will be those initiatives considered most creative and of the highest scientific quality. Preference will be given to projects that complement the long-term research goals of the SPORE and advance our translational research objectives. The executive committee may also solicit and fund experimental or clinical proposals that address an urgent and specific need in the MSK SPORE in Soft Tissue Sarcoma program or a unique research opportunity. We will prioritize projects submitted by early-stage investigators. Applications will be reviewed by leaders at MSK, including members of the Internal Scientific Advisory Board, selected based on the relevance of their scientific expertise, and funding decisions will be made by the SPORE Executive Committee. The scientific progress of DRP projects will be evaluated every 6 months by the DRP Co-leaders. Long-term metrics of success for DRP awardees include presentation/publication of original research, successful competition for independent research support, successful development and completion of clinical trials stemming from DRP research, establishment of new collaborations, and institutional recognition by academic promotion. Projects may apply for a second year of funding through the same competitive process, and the projects that appear most promising will be considered for incorporation into the SPORE as Research Projects, either in current or future funding cycles.