© 1999 by Oxford University Press
Journal of the National Cancer Institute, Vol. 91, No. 1, 17,
January 6, 1999
© 1999 Oxford University Press
NEWS |
Next Century Research Opportunities Announced
Researchers have new opportunities to delve into six key multidisciplinary, technology, and infrastructure areas that will span the first years of the next century, the National Cancer Institute announced in December.This series of programs represents investments of approximately $343 million over 5 years, starting in the current fiscal year. The concepts for the projects were evaluated and approved by the institute's Board of Scientific Advisors.
The following initiatives were launched:
Transdisciplinary Tobacco Research Centers: This initiative will
examine the tobacco problem in ways that integrate biological and psychosocial models to
examine a range of questions from why children start smoking, to whether there are genes that
predispose people to tobacco addiction. Through a second initiative,
Research in State and Community Tobacco Control Interventions:
NCI will fund an estimated 12 to 15 separate projects focused on policy changes and media
efforts to study the effectiveness of these tobacco control programs. A total of $142 million over
5 years is earmarked for the two tobacco initiatives starting in 1999. The National Institute on
Drug Abuse committed $20 million for the collaborative tobacco research centers.
In Vivo Cellular and Molecular Imaging Centers: This
effort will capture the actual molecular machinery of cancer for an unprecedented picture of
cancer cells that should foster earlier, more accurate diagnoses, fewer invasive procedures, and
real-time monitoring of therapy effectiveness. Six grants totaling $7.2 million will be awarded
over 3 years to institutions to form multidisciplinary research groups that include, for example,
imaging scientists, oncologists, cancer biologists, chemists, computer scientists, physicists, and
immunologists. Six additional grants aimed at institutions that have such ongoing, interactive,
interdisciplinary research will be awarded for 5 years at a total cost of $48 million.
The Director's Challenge: Toward a Molecular Classification of
Tumors: This initiative will use the first comprehensive index of genes that are expressed in
cancers, compiled through the NCI's Cancer Genome Anatomy Project, to help discover
which of the thousands of molecular changes in a tumor cell are most informative in determining
how a tumor will behave in a patient. An estimated eight to 10 collaborative teams will be
granted $1 million each during the 5-year initiative for a total of about $50 million.
Early Detection Research Network: This initiative will develop and
validate biomarkers for cancer through a multi-institutional consortium that links centers of
expertise in tumor biology, diagnostic technologies, and clinical trials methodology in academia
and industry. This initiative will be funded at $61 million for 5 years.
Rapid Access to Intervention Development (RAID) and Rapid Access to
Preventive Intervention Development (RAPID): These initiatives will assist drug researchers
in creating and testing novel anti-cancer agents that are formulated for humans. Roughly $10
million will be awarded in 1999 for the RAID program, which is aimed at therapeutic drugs and
biologics. For the RAPID program, which focuses on cancer prevention agents, initial awards in
2000 are expected to total about $2 million.
Leadership Initiative on Cancer: This effort will foster cancer
awareness and community-based educational activities, and promote research on cancer control in
minority communities. This program will offer first-time application opportunities for Asian
Americans, Pacific Islanders, and Native Americans, among others. NCI will set aside $30 million
over 5 years.
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