Project Summary/Abstract The Developmental Research Program provides a means to respond to new opportunities, and is designed to encourage and facilitate new research efforts. The Program takes advantage of the broad expertise of researchers at Johns Hopkins University (JHU), University of Colorado at Boulder (UCB), and the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), bringing in researchers from different fields (i.e. radiology, immunology, molecular biology and genetics). It provides funds for pilot projects with potential for development into full-fledged translational research avenues, collaborations, and new methodologies for integration into other Research Projects. The Program is an engine of innovation in our SPORE and critical to its long term success in the fight against cervical cancer. It is absolutely necessary to keep a mature SPORE program at the cutting-edge of cancer research and outwardly focused by providing an avenue to solicit new research ideas and for developing innovative high-risk, but high-impact projects to stimulate cervical cancer research in the context of the SPORE. Pilot studies provide investigators with the resources to conduct translational research consistent with the SPORE’s objectives and within its framework to test their novel ideas while leveraging our infrastructure. This program continues to encourage participation from a broad range of investigators at JHU, UCB, and UAB by advertising the opportunity widely and providing support for pilot projects with the potential to develop into more fully-developed translational projects within the SPORE or new R01-type projects that will advance our understanding of cervical cancer biology. It also encourages and facilitates the development of new research directions, as well as new methodologies, and collaborations that will propel our existing projects forward. To ensure the proposals are fully and fairly assessed, the Developmental Research Program uses a rotating panel of highly qualified external reviewers with their own cancer-related NIH funding. The JHU Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center will provide $75,000 annually as match funds for the Developmental Research Program, while UAB will contribute $50,000 annually to be used in the Developmental Research Program. In addition, the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine will provide a single year of $75,000 Discovery Award funding to further leverage NIH support to encourage innovation within our program.