PROJECT SUMMARY Developmental Funds: CCSG Developmental Funds are critical for realizing the Research Strategic Plan (RSP). These investments support RSP elements emphasizing integrative science, innovation, and collaboration. In the previous renewal, MCC requested and was recommended to receive $400,000 per year in Developmental Funds for pilot projects and shared resources. However, after administrative reductions only $75,000 in CCSG developmental funding was available over the five-year period. These funds were leveraged with significant institutional funds to support pilot projects, which was ultimately the only category for which CCSG Developmental Funds were used. This CCSG investment returned more than $20 million in subsequent peer-reviewed funding and 54 publications. Future plans are to support collaborative pilot projects and invest in a novel mechanism to foster innovation in MCC cores over the next project period. MCC requests $190,000 for Developmental Funds to: 1) Foster innovative science through the support of collaborative pilot projects; and 2) Facilitate and Encourage Core Innovation. MCC will continue to recruit new faculty, allocate discretionary ?pre- pilot? funds for Program Leaders, and provide bridge funding for members; however this will be institutional support, and no CCSG funding is requested in these categories at this time. Staff Investigators: MCC's Centers of Excellence (CoE) build and foster transdisciplinary collaborations across all Research Programs based on areas of institutional strength that align with the needs of the catchment area. Staff Investigators lead each CoE, with the expectation that they bring together members from across all Research Programs to enhance discovery and translation through interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary team science. MCC has four CoEs, each led by a Staff Investigator, who reports directly to the Associate Center Director (ACD) of Translational Science. The four Staff Investigators, all of whom are accomplished, senior scientists, are: 1) Kieran Smalley, PhD, who leads the Melanoma CoE; 2) Eric Haura, MD, who leads the Lung Cancer CoE; 3) Anna Giuliano, PhD, who leads the Center for Infection Research in Cancer; and 4) Robert Gillies, PhD, who leads the Center for Imaging and Technology. MCC requests Staff Investigator support of 1.20 calendar months (10%) for the CoE Directors, partially supported by the CCSG ($44,725).