Research Emphasis Today
Fifty-five percent of today's research at CCR is translational and clinical in nature, demonstrating the successful integration of laboratory and clinical research. CCR has cut a large number of underperforming efforts and replaced them with stronger basic science and high-quality translational projects. Additional cuts in unproductive projects will allow CCR to develop areas of high translational priority.
Rational Approach to Hard Decisions
Input:
- NCI Mission and Priorities
- CCR Mission and Priorities
- Reductions in workforce/staff departures
- Programs come to a close
- Board of Scientific Counselors review (rigorous extramural scientific peer review)
- Expert advice
Input from multiple sources:
- NCI Senior Leadership
- CCR Senior Leadership
- CCR Advisory Board
- Board of Scientific Counselors
- National Cancer Advisory Board
Output:
- Reprogram dollars into:
- New programs/initiatives
- New tenure-track hires (revitalize CCR)
- PI self-initiated scientific redirection and reprogramming
- High-quality science and outstanding accomplishments
- Implementation of strategic plan
Flexibility Allows Redeploying
Flexibility of funding approach enables immediate redeployment of resources in support of:
- NCI and NIH mission, goals, and objectives
- Urgent public need (NIH, DHHS)
- New high-priority scientific opportunities
The Site Visit Process
Assures outstanding research
- Four-year cycle
- Retrospective review
- Accomplishments
- Future directions
- Team science
- Innovation
- Mentoring and training
- Site visit team and Board of Scientific Counselors
- Evaluates the science being performed in light of its cost
- Encourages high-risk approaches
- Recommendation
- Team advises CCR Director to continue supporting or to discontinue
Rewards Team Science
Criteria:
- Principal Investigator’s role and responsibility in the multidisciplinary or interdisciplinary research
- Leadership role or key contributions to the team
- Quality of the overall science
- Degree of the contributions
- Originality of the contributions
- How the contributions impact the overall project
- Can a component(s) be distinctly attributed to the Principal Investigator
Reduction in Number of Principal Investigators (PIs)
To retain its vitality, CCR, in conjunction with its Board of Scientific Counselors, has taken the difficult steps of eliminating or reducing underperforming programs while creating new programs and initiatives and fully supporting the most meritorious, high-impact research. Overall, the number of Principal Investigators (PIs) has declined by 18 percent from 2002 to 2008, largely because of lab closures and retirements.
Challenges
- Maintain balance between highly innovative, investigator-initiated research and programmatic efforts
- Support strong basic science that is critical for success of translation to the clinic
- Determine how to do more with less—leverage resources
- Overcome barriers to progress
- Overly restrictive conflict of interest regulations
- Techology transfer hurdles
- Limited flexibility of CCR’s Scientific Directors to shift resources
- Conflict of interest rules restrict membership on Board of Scientific Counselors
- Increased administrative requirements and restrictions
- Ineffective centralized infrastructure (Human Resources, Facilities Support, etc.)
- Coding of money issues inhibit revitalization of physical resources
Strategic Plan
