CPRIT oversight committee approves dozens of academic awards totaling tens of millions; one member recuses

The oversight committee for the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas approved the program integration committee's academic research grant recommendations in two motions, awarding funds across core facilities, recruitment, training and high‑impact research mechanisms.

Dr. Heert, presenting the academic research slate, said the committee recommended roughly $78–$85 million in awards across 58 grants in the cycle, highlighting core facilities, research training awards, and five rural oncology trials accelerator awards to broaden trial access in underserved regions of Texas. The board voted first to approve the five rural oncology trials accelerator recommendations; the record notes that Dr. Hernandez recused himself from that vote and did not participate in the tally.

After completing the rural accelerator vote, the oversight committee approved the remaining 60 academic recommendations — spanning core facility support, high‑impact research, multi‑investigator awards, individual investigator awards, and recruitment mechanisms — by voice vote. The chair subsequently moved to delegate contract negotiation authority to the CEO and staff and authorize the CEO to sign grant contracts on behalf of CPRIT.

Members discussed prioritizing clinical trials, recruitment of trialists and the role of new RFAs to support rural trial infrastructure. The committee also noted the large volume of individual research applications this cycle (the presenter cited a rise from 515 to 620 individual research applications), pressuring paylines and funding strategy.

The motions carried by voice vote in open session; the committee recorded recusal by Dr. Hernandez on the rural accelerator slate.