CPRIT CEO says agency preserved in legislature, budget includes supplemental funding and staff increases
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Summary
CEO Kristen Doyle reported to the CPRIT oversight committee that bills directly affecting the agency did not pass, that CPRIT retained appropriations and received supplemental capital funding, and that staffing and a hybrid work policy will change Sept. 1.
Kristen Doyle, chief executive officer of the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas, told the oversight committee on Aug. 20 that five bills directly addressing CPRIT did not pass during the most recent legislative cycle and that the agency retained its appropriations.
Doyle said CPRIT did well on appropriations, including full funding to support the Texas Cancer Registry and additional supplemental capital funding that allowed the agency to accelerate a planned grant-management platform upgrade. She told members that because the supplemental appropriation placed the grant-management platform funding in the capital budget, CPRIT could begin the project this summer instead of waiting until Sept. 1.
She also reported that the agency had been approved for additional full-time positions: CPRIT currently operates at 51 FTEs while its approved level had been 44; the agency was approved to move to 54 FTEs, effective Sept. 1.
Doyle described a forthcoming hybrid work policy, effective Sept. 1, that will require employees to work in the office at least 20 hours per week while allowing up to 20 hours of remote work. She said the change reflects a desire to preserve remote-work benefits while rebuilding day-to-day office collaboration and institutional knowledge transfer.
Doyle summarized other items in her written report, including a legislative attorney-client style reference to a Senate bill (SB 2796) that had a committee hearing on return-on-investment provisions. She also noted that CPRIT will continue to monitor federal actions that could affect grantee matching rules, and that the state auditor’s office has notified CPRIT it will be subject to an efficiency audit ahead of the agency’s sunset review.
Why it matters: The CEO’s report signals continuity of CPRIT’s budget and operations, a near-term ramp-up for a grant-management platform replacement, and modest near-term staff growth—factors likely to affect CPRIT’s grant processing speed and program operations over the next 12 months.
Less-critical details: Doyle thanked staff involved in recruitment and HR, noted several retirements and transitions in scientific leadership, and said the agency will host and participate in several outreach events for grantees in the months ahead.