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Driving Transformation in NCI-sponsored Clinical Trials through Education, Leadership, and Community Partnership: An NCI-R50 Clinical-Scientist Award

Award Number: R50CA318775
ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL CANCER INSTITUTE
OPDIV: NIH
AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY
AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: SCIENTIFIC/HEALTH RESEARCH (INCLUDES SURVEYS)
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 08/11/2026
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 07/31/2031

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Driving Transformation in NCI-sponsored Clinical Trials through Education, Leadership, and Community Partnership: An NCI-R50 Clinical-Scientist Award - PROJECT SUMMARY As Medical Director of the Clinical Trials Office at the Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center (Massey) within Virginia Commonwealth University, Keri R. Maher, DO oversees the strategic growth and operational excellence of Massey’s largest shared resource – the Clinical Trials Office. In a distinct capacity supported by this Research Specialist award, Dr. Maher will dedicate 25% effort to expanding Massey’s participation in National Cancer Institute (NCI)-sponsored trials, with a focus on increasing institutional leadership, enrollment, and community engagement. Her efforts will center around empowering Early-Stage Investigators (ESIs) through education and mentoring in clinical trial design, implementation, and conduct of trials within the National Clinical Trials Network (NCTN) as well as fostering leadership opportunities in both NCTN and the Experimental Therapeutics Clinical Trials Network (ETCTN). Her efforts will also strengthen Massey’s NCI Community Oncology Research Program (NCORP) partnerships to decentralize trial access and bring research opportunities to patients across the Massey’s geographic service area. To achieve these aims, she will: 1) Implement a formal training and mentoring curriculum for ESIs through a new Clinical Investigator Pathways in Oncology (CIPO) effort; 2) Create networking, mentorship, and sponsorship pathways for meaningful ESI engagement in national trials; and 3) Expand and strengthen community physician partnerships through Massey’s NCORP network by developing and deploying a new clinical trials nurse navigation service to enhance community physician collaboration and patient enrollment. Dr. Maher brings extensive experience in the design, implementation, and conduct of clinical trials and has a strong record of leadership in both NCTN and ETCTN. Since joining Massey in 2020, she created the Acute Leukemia and Myeloid Malignancies Disease Working Group which is a component of Massey’s Protocol Review and Monitoring System and has led the division of Hematology/Oncology in clinical trial accruals for the past two years – most notably through high accruals to two acute leukemia trials in the NCTN – NCT 04530565 and NCT 05303792. Dr. Maher previously served as the national PI for NCT03772925, an ETCTN trial evaluating belinostat and pevonedostat in relapsed/refractory acute myeloid leukemia. She is the national PI on a forthcoming adult acute lymphoblastic leukemia trial through the Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology. She is a previous recipient of the Robert A. Winn Excellence in Clinical Trials Career Development Award, which supports the training of future community-informed clinical trialists. She previously served as Vice Chair of Massey’s Protocol Review and Monitoring Committee, helping to ensure the scientific rigor and quality of clinical trials offered to Massey patients. She will leverage these prior experiences to advance the goals outlined in this application, thereby expanding Massey’s participation in NCI-sponsored trials, in alignment with both the objectives of the R50 funding mechanism and the broader mission of the NCI.


Issue Date FY	Funding FY	Legal Entity Name	Legal Entity Address	Legal Entity City	Legal Entity State	Legal Entity Zip Code	Legal Entity COUNTY	Legal Entity COUNTRY	Assistance Listing	Award Code	Budget Year	Action Date	Action Type	Action Amount

Issue Date FY: 2026 ( Subtotal = $129,194 )
2026	2026	VIRGINIA COMMONWEALTH UNIVERSITY	910 WEST FRANKLIN ST	RICHMOND	VA	23284	RICHMOND CITY	USA	Cancer Treatment Research	000	1	8/11/2026	NEW	$129,194
														Subtotal = $129,194

Grand Total All Awards = $129,194

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Driving Transformation in NCI-sponsored Clinical Trials through Education, Leadership, and Community Partnership: An NCI-R50 Clinical-Scientist Award

Award Number: R50CA318775

ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL CANCER INSTITUTE

OPDIV: NIH

AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY

AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: SCIENTIFIC/HEALTH RESEARCH (INCLUDES SURVEYS)

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 08/11/2026

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 07/31/2031

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