The SARC Sarcoma SPORE:

A Unique Collaborative (Ad)venture

Raphael E. Pollock, MD, PhD

Department of Surgical Oncology

Division of Surgery

University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center

Houston, Texas

Introduction

Specialized Programs of Research Excellence (SPOREs) are specialized center grants to support multi-project, interdisciplinary, and in some cases, multi-institutional, translational research involving both basic and applied scientists that will result in diverse new approaches to the prevention, early detection, diagnosis and treatment of human cancers.

1. Multiple projects (four minimum), each co-led by a basic and applied/clinical scientist 2. Specialized shared COREs to support the projects

3. Flexibility to terminate projects that are not meeting translational goals and to replace them with new promising projects

4. Inter-SPORE collaboration or collaboration with other research groups that combine resources and expertise

SPORE key features/requirements

5. Substantial access to cancer patient populations

6. Investigators who have a strong, demonstrable research base in the cancer type to be studied

7. Creation of programs to develop pilot projects and also help to develop translational scientists

SPORE key features/requirements

The SARC Sarcoma SPORE

SARC Sarcoma SPORE unique features

Adult and pediatric projects

Sponsored by a professional organization (SARC)

NCI intramural investigator involvement

Three major performance sites (MDACC, UM, HCC)

SARC Sarcoma SPORE Research Projects

The SPORE Research Support COREs

Career Development Program

Developmental Research Project Program

After three separate submissions/reviews (2009-2012), all’s well that ends well...