The ever-changing technological and scientific landscape requires that we constantly re-examine how we interact as scientists to conduct our research and what resources are necessary to yield results. — Andrew C. von Eschenbach, M.D.
Email this pageBuilding the Nation's Cancer Research Capacity
On this page:- NCI's challenge
- Efforts required to make progress
- FY 2004 Increase Request for Capacity Building
- Contents of this section
NCI's challenge
The challenge before NCI is to build and continually enhance a research system that will allow and encourage the scientific community to share and apply new discoveries and emerging technologies. We need new funding arrangements that will:
- promote and reward innovative thinking;
- speed cross fertilization of ideas among disparate scientific disciplines;
- facilitate collaborations among government, academia, and industry;
- and bring advances in cancer care to all populations.
And we need to foster and coordinate efforts that would be too large for the individual investigator by:
- promoting team endeavors,
- and by encouraging scientific integration without inhibiting individual creativity.
Efforts required to make progress
Advances in working with specific types of cancer may emerge from non-specific cancer knowledge and resources, and new knowledge in one type of cancer often has implications for better understanding others. To make progress for as many cancers as possible, we need to:
- Guide, support, leverage, and build the work of the individual investigator with that of our NCI-supported Cancer Centers, networks, and consortia.
- Maximize physician and patient access to clinical trials for prevention, diagnostic, and therapeutic interventions.
- Train top researchers in oncology and to arm them with the finest technologies and tools available.
- Build and sustain the interdisciplinary connections so vital to 21st century science.
FY 2004 Increase Request for Capacity Building
(dollars in thousands)
| Investigator-Initiated Research | $69,887 | 12% |
| Centers, Networks, & Consortia | $79,530 | 14% |
| National Clinical Trials Program | $340,100 | 59% |
| Bioinformatics | $88,000 | 15% |
| Total | $577,517 |
Contents of this Section
Enhancing Investigator Initiated ResearchAccelerate discoveries and their application by expanding and facilitating researcher access to resources and new technologies.
Expanding the Capacity of Centers, Networks, and ConsortiaCreate and sustain infrastructures that facilitate research collaboration, serve as platforms for technology development, and provide access to the full range of research resources.
National Clinical Trials Program in Treatment and PreventionEnsure that clinical trials address the most important questions in treatment and prevention, are broadly accessible, and enable strong translational research.
Developing Bioinformatics for Cancer ResearchCreate a cancer information infrastructure to support and integrate the full spectrum of cancer investigations.