CPRIT oversight committee approves LAR amendment to fund new grant management system through DIR

The Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT) oversight committee voted to amend the agency's 2026–27 legislative appropriations request (LAR) to add an exceptional capital item to procure a new grant management platform (GMP) through the Texas Department of Information Resources (DIR).

Miss McConnell, a CPRIT staff presenter, told the committee the agency is asking that "the agency's LAR request for the 2026-2027 biennium be amended to include an additional exceptional item to cover our capital budget, in order for us to be able to procure a new grant management platform or GMP, through the auspices of the Department of Information Resources." Dr. Rice served as presiding officer for the meeting under the Texas Open Meetings Act.

The committee was presented cost estimates and an implementation plan. McConnell said a preliminary technology assessment would cost about $560,000; acquisition, development, integration, cybersecurity, and initial operations were estimated roughly at $9,600,000; and recurring costs for fiscal 2027 were estimated at about $1,450,000. McConnell described the $9.6 million as a "very rough estimate" and said the agency could transfer up to an additional 25% of its capital budget, per language already in the Appropriations Act, if costs rose.

McConnell and other committee members emphasized that the request is to create capital budget authority and to shift existing agency funds to pay the costs, not to seek additional appropriated dollars. McConnell said, "It is to create the capital budget authority in our bill and simply transfer money from our grant award strategies to our operating strategy in order to accomplish that. It's not for additional funds." She said transfers would be made proportionally from the agency's grant award strategies (noting the agency's research/prevention split at roughly 90/10).

Committee members asked why CPRIT was changing systems. McConnell said the agency's current software-as-a-service contract with GDIT is a "piecemeal of three different platforms" (separate application receipt, peer review, and post-award systems), which complicates data aggregation and analysis and requires extensive coding to make even small changes. On cost outcomes, she told the committee, "We do believe that the overall net result will be reduced cost, but and greater efficiency for the agency." The agency plans to maintain the current platform while the new system is acquired and developed, then cut over once ready.

The procurement will use DIR's contracts and procurement processes: DIR would acquire the software license and manage the vendor relationship, with CPRIT staff participating in configuration and stakeholder work. McConnell said off-the-shelf platforms will be evaluated and configured for CPRIT's differing business processes across prevention, product development, and research programs. She also said the new system is expected to improve public data access by creating an interface to visualization tools such as Tableau while retaining confidentiality protections required under public records law.

On timeline, CPRIT staff said there is no exact acquisition calendar but the agency aims to be off the current GDIT platform by the end of fiscal 2027 and "definitely by 2028" to begin using the replacement system, depending on how quickly DIR's procurement and implementation steps proceed.

A motion to approve the LAR amendment was moved and seconded; the committee approved the request by voice vote. Dr. Rice announced, "All in favor? Aye. Aye. Opposed? Motion carries." The committee did not record an itemized roll-call tally in the transcript.

Next steps noted during the meeting included completion of the DIR assessment, evaluation of vendor platforms, and formal transfer actions to move funds from CPRIT's grant award strategies into the operating/capital strategy once authority is secured in the Appropriations Act. The committee did not request additional appropriations for the procurement at this time.