# Developmental Core

> **NIH NIH U54** · WEILL MEDICAL COLL OF CORNELL UNIV · 2024 · $371,539

## Abstract

The Development Core (DC) will contribute to the SoCa Center’s mission to reduce cancer health inequities in
persistent poverty areas (PPAs) in the New York City (NYC) Region by helping junior faculty, especially from
groups underrepresented in the biomedical workforce (URiBW), develop new pilot research projects and
preliminary data necessary for future extramural funding, and successfully compete for K and R-level grant
mechanisms. The SoCa DC builds on a 20-year track record of exemplary outcomes among programs that
promote diversity in the biomedical research workforce at Downstate Health Sciences University (Downstate),
Cornell University (CU) and Columbia University Irving Medical Center (CUIMC).
To address career development barriers, the DC will fund innovative pilot projects, led by early career faculty
from URiBW backgrounds at SoCa partnering institutions. The DC pilot project recipients will be fully integrated
into training and mentoring opportunities funded through the Career Enhancement Core (CEC), have access to
a robust Research and Methods Core (RMC) to support the pilot projects, and participate in networking and
career development activities organized by the Administrative Core (ADMIN). Further, we will fully integrate the
SoCa Community Advisory Board (CAB) as partners in the prioritization, co-production, and dissemination of
pilot projects, and review of future proposal submissions. In Aim 1, we will establish a SoCa pilot project program
that will support 25 cancer health equity pilot projects (5 per year). The SoCa DC will directly fund 2 pilot projects
per year. Downstate, CUIMC, and CU will each provide additional pilot funds to maximize cancer equity research
activities. URiBW early career faculty from Downstate, CUIMC, CU, and SoCa Scholars are eligible to apply. In
Aim 2, we will enhance collaboration and synergy to develop new pilot project ideas by coordinating a SoCa
Hub, which will provide centralized resources for URiBW early career investigators to participate in longstanding
research cohort studies. SoCa Hub resources will be housed and maintained on the SoCa website as described
in the ADMIN. URiBW faculty across all Minority Serving Institutions in NYC with an interest in cancer health
equity will be eligible to participate. In Aim 3, we will expand a Mock Study Section program, that will engage
participants from the SoCa Hub, SoCa Scholars (from CEC), SoCa pilot project PIs with opportunities to undergo
an NIH-level review process for K or R-level grant submissions. Mock Study Sections will be comprised of SoCa
faculty with NIH review experience. The SoCa DC will develop a critical mass of diverse scientists who will
promote cancer health equity in NYC persistent poverty areas.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10851857
- **Project number:** 5U54CA280808-02
- **Recipient organization:** WEILL MEDICAL COLL OF CORNELL UNIV
- **Principal Investigator:** Marlene Camacho
- **Activity code:** U54 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $371,539
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2023-05-31 → 2028-04-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10851857

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10851857, Developmental Core (5U54CA280808-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10851857. Licensed CC0.

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