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CPRIT approves five recruitment awards totaling $12 million; adds survivorship research as a priority
Summary
The oversight committee approved five recruitment awards recommended by the Scientific Review Council and the Program Integration Committee, and the academic research program proposed adding cancer survivorship research as a program priority in FY2026.
The Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas oversight committee approved five recruitment awards recommended for FY25 cycle 25.1 and voted to authorize staff to negotiate and execute the resulting contracts. The five recommended awards, described in staff materials and SRC summaries, total about $12 million and include one Rising Star recruitment and four first-time tenure-track faculty recruitments.
Why it matters: Recruitment awards are intended to attract and retain cancer researchers and to expand research capacity at Texas institutions. The oversight committee also approved adding a new academic-priority emphasis on cancer survivorship research for FY2026.
Awardees and science highlights - Rising Star: Dr. Daniel Addison — recruited to UT Southwestern; research in cardio‑oncology with an emphasis on clonal hematopoiesis, inflammation and prevention of cardiotoxicity from cancer therapies. - First-time tenure-track recruits: Dr. Fangyu Liu (UT Southwestern) — structure‑based drug discovery targeting transmembrane proteins and pathways important in pancreatic cancer; Dr. Zhangdong Liv (University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston) — mechanisms of resistance to KRAS inhibitors and proteostasis; Dr. Norihiro Gotoh (MD Anderson) — intestinal stem cell niche biology and immune‑evasion in colon cancer; Dr. Zhu Feng Chen (MD Anderson) — immunology and drug resistance in acute myeloid leukemia.
Committee actions - The oversight committee approved the five academic recruitment awards and delegated contract negotiation authority to the CEO and staff. The committee also approved the academic research program’s FY2026 RFAs, including targeted recruitment RFAs for computational and systems biology, pediatric and adolescent cancers, clinical trials, prevention and early detection, and early-onset cancers. - Program staff proposed adding “cancer survivors” research as a new academic priority; staff said this could be advanced through existing IRAs and by issuing a targeted RFA if warranted.
Speakers - Dr. LeBeau, Academic Research Program director (presented recruitment slate and proposed RFAs) - Committee members and subcommittee chairs (discussed portfolio balance and candidate quality) - Dr. Cummings, Chair (presided over votes)
Provenance - topicintro: {"block_id":"s=5553.7397","local_start":0,"local_end":160,"evidence_excerpt":"Turning to agenda item 10, the chair recognizes doctor Labeau to provide the academic research program update... I'm delighted to present the recruitment award recommendations for f y 25 cycle 25.1."} - topfinish: {"block_id":"s=6844.2603","local_start":0,"local_end":140,"evidence_excerpt":"Members, miss LeBeau will seek approval for proposed FY2026 RFAs... I will entertain a motion approving the 6 proposed FY 2026 cycle 1 RFAs as presented by doctor LeBeau. All in favor, vote aye."}
Clarifying details - Category:award_total, detail:"Five recruitment awards recommended (1 Rising Star + 4 first‑time tenure track)",value:12000000,units:"USD",approximate:true,source_speaker:"Dr. LeBeau" - Category:new_priority, detail:"Proposed addition: cancer survivors research (health and well‑being of survivors and caregivers)",value:"not specified",units:"n/a",approximate:false,source_speaker:"Dr. LeBeau"
Searchable_tags:["academic_research","recruitment_awards","survivorship","IRAs","RFAs"],
