Developmental Research Program
The HCC SPORE in Breast Cancer’s Developmental Research Program (DRP) supports innovative, investigator-initiated translational research projects across HCC institutions. Backed by federal, institutional, and philanthropic funding, the DRP has a strong track record of success, including high-impact publications, new grants, and clinical trials.
Proposals are solicited broadly and selected through a rigorous peer-review process led by SPORE leadership, faculty, and patient advocates, based on criteria such as novelty, feasibility, and clinical relevance. Funded investigators are expected to engage actively with the SPORE, report progress, and utilize shared resources.
The DRP aims to advance high-quality, high-risk, novel, early-stage research, to foster new ideas in the breast cancer research field, and to move research projects from a pilot stage to a level where external funding for more mature project is possible. A secondary goal of the DRP is to create opportunities for early-career faculty or established investigators working on other fields who are interested in transitioning into breast cancer research.
