PROJECT SUMMARY: DEVELOPMENTAL FUNDS Developmental Funds, derived from a variety of sources (CCSG, state, institutional, and philanthropy), advance the mission, goals, and scientific activities of Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center (Sylvester) through the support of innovative, collaborative, programmatic, and catchment area (CA) relevant science. Guided by Sylvester’s Strategic Plan, the internally peer-reviewed Intramural Funding Program (IFP) utilizes Developmental Funds to catalyze collaborative research and support promising ideas and investigators, targeting specific areas of research priority, including transdisciplinary or translational science, community outreach and engagement, and innovative clinical trials through a variety of pilot and non-pilot funding mechanisms. Working closely with Sylvester Administration, the Deputy Director leads the IFP program to execute a rigorous process for solicitation of funding opportunities, review of applications, awarding of funds, and tracking of progress. IFP administration also oversees the American Cancer Society Institutional Research Grant awards, leveraging these funds with additional institutional dollars, and the multi-center collaborative Florida Academic Cancer Center Alliance pilot awards, conducted in partnership with Florida’s NCI-designated cancer centers. Sylvester’s Scientific Steering and Executive Committees review and approve the priority funding strategies each year, and over time, the IFP has offered 13 strategically-aligned funding mechanisms. CCSG Developmental Funds specifically supported emerging scientific ideas through Transdisciplinary Science Pilot awards and Translational Science Pilot Awards. $1.1M of CCSG Developmental Funds was committed to support 12 projects, which have thus far resulted in $3.4M in extramural funding, yielding a return on investment (ROI) of 3.1-fold. Combined CCSG and Sylvester Developmental Fund investments of $11.9M into 111 research projects, during the reporting period, resulted in $58.7M in total awarded extramural research awards (ROI = 4.9), 82 peer-reviewed publications, and 82 clinical trial accruals as of 5/31/23. During the reporting period, $551,216 of CCSG Developmental Funds supported the development of three Shared Resources (SRs), two of which are proposed as CCSG-supported SRs in this application. In the next funding period, to support Sylvester’s CA-aligned research priorities, and its growth and maturation as an NCI- designated cancer center, Developmental Funds will be used according to the following specific aims, to: 1) Support transdisciplinary, translational and team science through pilot funding mechanisms that promote innovative and collaborative research that impacts Sylvester’s CA and leads to extramural funding ($750K CCSG investment), 2) Support innovative cancer research conducted by underrepresented minority investigators through a dedicated early career pilot award program ($250K CCSG investment), and 3) Recru...