Friday, April 4, 2025
4/4/2025
PAR04-122, Extramural Research Facilities Improvement P* - DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The major goal of the Biomedical Research Tower (BRT) is to create a multidisciplinary biomedical research and education center for The Ohio State University Medical Center (OSUMC) that will be a centerpiece of a dramatically enhanced health sciences campus. Integral to the University's Academic Plan for becoming a top public research institution, the BRT will greatly advance the academic mission of the University while bringing enormous value in improved health care, advanced technology, and economic growth to the State of Ohio. The specific renovation project being proposed is for the "buildout" of a floor of the BRT (approximately 24,000 asf) to centralize and support one of the fastest growing and developing areas of cancer research, the Experimental Therapeutics Program (ETP) of The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center (OSUCCC). The ETP plays a critical role in the discovery and development of new cancer therapies. A strong tradition of therapeutic research has been the focus of our nationally recognized program enabling both the design and conduct of trials at the initial interface between basic and clinical research for "first in human" studies. The explosion in knowledge of molecular genetics has had a profound impact on understanding both efficacy and toxicity assessments in patients on experimental clinical trials. These remarkable advances have paved the way for incorporating pharmacodynamics, pharmacokinetics, and pharmacogenomics investigations into the evaluation of these newer therapies. Validation of the scientific "proof of principle" underlying each new therapeutic approach has been mandated. The requested federal funding will enable our institution to bring highly trained experts in drug discovery and development into close proximity, and thus improve the scientific process of discovering new therapeutic approaches for patients with cancer. Furthermore, the proposed construction of a dedicated floor for experimental therapeutics within the BRT will facilitate a planned expansion of faculty recruitment targeting specific areas of solid tumor oncology. Our Comprehensive Cancer Center in conjunction with the College of Medicine has outlined a plan for recruitment of at least twelve new investigators. The specific focus of the recruitments will include: a Director of Gastrointestinal Malignancy; a Director of Head and Neck Medical Oncology; a senior physician scientist with expertise in multiple myeloma; three junior faculty investigators in solid tumor oncology; and two additional clinical investigators in hematological malignancies (leukemia and lymphoma). In addition, the recruitment plan calls for three additional basic scientists (PhD's) with a senior basic scientist to direct and coordinate phase I activities in the James Cancer Hospital. Several of these individuals have already been identified, and have just re-located to The Ohio State University. The success in recruitment will necessitate identification of new space because the existing peer reviewed research funding of the established investigators also continues to grow. Thus, the expansion of new space in the BRT will both enhance research productivity, and allow the full recruitment plan to be executed over the next three years. While the initial plans call for the recruitment of specific investigators into Oncology, there is a long-term initiative, OSU Project Cancer, designed to support a larger expansion, including the recruitment of 90 individuals, with a major emphasis being the development of Solid Tumor Oncology. The development of the ETP at Ohio State will enhance access to outstanding patient care, promising and innovative research protocols, and exemplary teaching. Recruiting top caliber faculty to fill voids in the Division of Hematology and Medical Oncology in the areas of head and neck cancer, lung cancer, gastrointestinal cancers, and genitourinary malignancies will enable our physicians to provide disease specific expertise in therapeutics that will have a national impact on fatal diseases. In this manner, Ohio State will also be a beacon for training the next generation of scientists committed to experimental therapeutics. This cadre of multi-disciplinary experts will spread the scientific approach for translational research in cancer treatment. With a significant academic list of accomplishments in a focused specialty, our cancer program will be recognized as one of the ten best in the United States.
HHS’ Tracking Accountability in Government Grants System (TAGGS) website provides access to detailed descriptions of grants, loans, aggregated direct payments and other types of financial assistance awarded by the HHS Operating Divisions (OPDIVs) and the Office of the Secretary Staff Divisions (STAFFDIVs).