The Nation's Investment in Cancer Research
A Plan and Budget Proposal for Fiscal Year 2008
Prepared by the Director, National Cancer Institute as mandated by The National Cancer Act (P.L. 92-218)
Training and Career Development
Rapid developments on the frontiers of science and technology, including molecular biology and translational medicine, have broadened the scope of cancer research and have presented new challenges for training future cancer researchers in diverse disciplines. NCI devotes approximately four percent of its annual budget and multiple strategies to preparing the next generation of cancer researchers for challenges that increasingly are multidisciplinary and span basic, clinical, behavioral, and applied research. Each year, we provide cancer research training and career development opportunities to more than 2,000 graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and oncologists. Some of this training takes place on the NIH campus, but most occurs in universities and teaching hospitals across the United States.
All sponsored traineeships are intended to increase the number of scientists who specialize in the basic or clinical biomedical research fields. We invest in training to support the use of advanced technologies and provide career opportunities to equip scientists to address cancer in underserved populations. We foster development of interdisciplinary teams of scientists to carry out critical translational research. These investments will ensure a steady flow of well-trained investigators to focus on the challenges of fighting cancer.
A Closer Look — A Researcher's Story
NCI training and career development experiences provided a young investigator with the background and resources that facilitated a notable cancer scientific advance. The Principal Investigator and his team were able to generate mice that develop pancreatic cancer that mimics the human disease. They then isolated a molecular signature in the blood serum of these mice that reliably predicts the presence of early pancreatic cancer. This new mouse model has helped to advance the work of other researchers studying the development, detection, and treatment of pancreatic cancer.
NCI mechanisms of support for the investigator included funding through the Medical Scientist Training Program for his sub-specialization in medical oncology. He was able to advance his mouse model research through an NCI fellowship training grant, and as a result of his success he has received additional funding to continue his investigation in this promising area.
"I have always been attracted to illnesses that had few efficacious treatments, and pancreatic cancer is at the top of my short list. Finding the right environment to start your career is the most important thing. Sufficient funding is required from the beginning." NCI-funded investigator
