1. The SARC Sarcoma SPORE: A Unique Collaborative (Ad)venture Raphael E. Pollock, MD, PhD Department of Surgical Oncology Division of Surgery University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center Houston, Texas

2. Introduction Specialized Programs of Research Excellence (SPOREs) are specialized center grants to support multi-project, interdisciplinary, and in some cases, multi-institutional, translational research involving both basic and applied scientists that will result in diverse new approaches to the prevention, early detection, diagnosis and treatment of human cancers.

3. 1. Multiple projects (four minimum), each co-led by a basic and applied/clinical scientist 2. Specialized shared COREs to support the projects 3. Flexibility to terminate projects that are not meeting translational goals and to replace them with new promising projects 4. Inter-SPORE collaboration or collaboration with other research groups that combine resources and expertise SPORE key features/requirements

4. 5. Substantial access to cancer patient populations 6. Investigators who have a strong, demonstrable research base in the cancer type to be studied 7. Creation of programs to develop pilot projects and also help to develop translational scientists SPORE key features/requirements

5. The SARC Sarcoma SPORE

6. SARC Sarcoma SPORE unique features Adult and pediatric projects Sponsored by a professional organization (SARC) NCI intramural investigator involvement Three major performance sites (MDACC, UM, HCC)

7. SARC Sarcoma SPORE Research Projects

12. The SPORE Research Support COREs

18. Career Development Program

21. Developmental Research Project Program

24. After three separate submissions/reviews (2009-2012), all’s well that ends well...