Career Enhancement Program

Modified Project Summary/Abstract Section The overall goal of the Career Enhancement Program is to attract, select, and mentor promising junior scientists and to support awardees’ rigorous and innovative translational research projects addressing cervical cancer. The Cervical Cancer SPORE recognizes that a sustained, dynamic, and cutting-edge program to improve patient outcomes is dependent upon attracting the most promising junior investigators to study cervical cancer and supporting their careers. Candidates submit an application and are evaluated through a careful selection process involving a Career Enhancement Committee headed by Dr. T.-C. Wu, the SPORE PI and Co-Leader of the Career Enhancement Program at Johns Hopkins University (JHU), as well as the SPORE Steering Committee. The program is additionally co-led by Dr. Clayton Yates (JHU) and Dr. Donald Buchsbaum (University of Alabama at Birmingham, UAB) who assist in the basic science efforts of awarded investigators. Recipients of the award are reviewed annually, and investigators are required to submit an annual progress report subject to the aforementioned review process. In addition, the Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins provides $75,000 annually as match funds for the Career Enhancement Program. UAB will also contribute $50,000 annually to be used to fund Career Enhancement Projects with option to modify as needed. The Johns Hopkins Vice Provost for Research has also agreed to contribute one Catalyst Award of $75,000 which is intended to support the promising research and creative endeavors of an early career faculty member, with the option to modify as needed for outstanding candidates. This continues to be an impactful program that has recruited and developed a cadre of outstanding translational scientists, including several new leaders in this Cervical Cancer SPORE, and incorporated their innovations and expertise into this Program.