ABSTRACT ? CAREER DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM The Developmental Hyperactive Ras Tumor (DHART) SPORE Career Development Program (CDP) will support faculty at the Assistant Professor level to engage in translational research focused on NF1 and cancer. The specific purpose or the CDP is to advance the careers of junior investigators who are developing innovative research projects related to the goal of implementing more effective and less toxic therapies for cancers characterized by NF1 mutations. The DHART SPORE also includes a Developmental Research Program (DRP), which has the complementary mission of funding established investigators who seek to develop new research related to NF1-related cancers and is presented in a separate section of this application. The multi-institutional nature of this SPORE leverages a large and talented pool of junior faculty from multiple disciplines. Each institution views the CDP as a vehicle for recruiting, training, and advancing young scientists working in the area of translational cancer research related to NF1, and they have committed $1.3 million to support the Developmental Programs component of the DHART SPORE (DRP and CDP). The Specific Aims of the CDP are: (1) to support new investigators as they develop innovative research programs with the goal of contributing new knowledge to the field of NF1-related cancer research while generating preliminary data that will allow them to successfully apply for independent extramural funding; (2) to provide young researchers with didactic training that will equip them with essential skills and knowledge for success as an independent investigator in the field of NF1-related cancer research; (3) to mentor young translational researchers through regularly scheduled one-on-one meetings with a designated senior faculty member and a structured Individual Career Development Plan (IDP) who will fully integrate the CDP-supported investigator into the fabric of the DHART SPORE where they have access to advice, resources, and potential collaborators; and, (4) to encourage the recruitment of ethnic minorities, those from disadvantaged backgrounds, women and lesbian/gay/bisexual/transgender (LGBT) populations into research focused on NF1-associated cancers. The DHART SPORE will link vertically and horizontally to diversity programs at all of the consortium institutions. Investigators from any of these centers can apply for CDP funds, and we will also consider proposals from researchers at other institutions. The CDP will fund a minimum of two projects per year at an annual budget of $50,000 - $75,000. Applications for CDP support (including requests for a second year of funding) will be evaluated through a competitive process with review by a Developmental Programs Steering Committee comprised on senor scientists participating in this SPORE and oversight and guidance from the External and Internal Advisory Boards.