Career Enhancement Program SUMMARY/ABSTRACT The goal of the Career Enhancement Program (CEP) is to develop highly trained, exceptional new investigators dedicated to translational research in the early detection, prevention, and treatment of endometrial cancer. These investigators and their research will ultimately help to reduce the morbidity and mortality from this disease. The CEP will 1) recruit and train physicians and basic scientists to enable them to become highly skilled translational investigators in the field of endometrial cancer; 2) provide specific knowledge of research in endometrial cancer that will enhance the ability of awardees to conduct innovative translational science that will directly impact the understanding and treatment of this disease; and 3) re-direct individuals who have already shown considerable scientific promise into endometrial cancer research. To achieve this goal, the SPORE CEP will provide at least two awards of $50,000 annually for up to two years, funded from the SPORE and/or matching funds or philanthropic funds from MD Anderson. We will aggressively recruit the most promising new investigators and institute an individualized development plan with clinical and laboratory mentors and a mentoring committee, coaching in grant and manuscript writing, leadership training, networking with endometrial cancer scholars, and completing and publishing a translational endometrial cancer manuscript in a peer-reviewed journal. The CEP will encourage and support awardee presentations at national meetings. The CEP will be led by Diana Bodurka, M.D., the Vice President of Medical Education at MD Anderson and a gynecologic oncologist, and David Gershenson, M.D., the former Chair of the Department of Gynecologic Oncology at MD Anderson. Russell Broaddus, M.D., Ph.D., SPORE Co-PI, will provide oversight to the CEP, as SPORE leadership recognizes the importance of this program. Nine previous CEP awardees are playing major roles in the current SPORE competitive renewal, either as co-investigators on projects, leading clinical trials, contributing important preliminary data for the development of a research project, or serving on the SPORE External Advisory Board.