Leadership, Planning and Evaluation

University Of Southern California, Los Angeles CA

Investigators

Linked publications, trials & patents

Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY – Leadership, Planning, and Evaluation At the USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center (NCCC), overall responsibility for planning and evaluation rests with the Director, Caryn Lerman PhD, who sets the vision and strategic processes to intensify the growth and impact of NCCC’s cancer research, training, and community impact. Lerman transformed the Senior Leadership team with well-defined roles and responsibilities, enhancing the culture of engagement, input, and continuous improvement. Advisory bodies include the Executive Committee, Research Leadership Council, Strategic Planning Steering Committee, External Core Advisory Committee (new), Community Advisory Board (new), and the External Advisory Board. Program, Cross-Program, and Center retreats foster team science and drive the impact of NCCC research to address the cancer burden and disparities in our highly diverse catchment area. Informed by these committees, Senior Leaders led several evaluation and transformation processes during this cycle, including: 1) development of a new NCCC Strategic Plan (SP); 2) reassessment of NCCC membership to improve cancer focus; 3) restructuring of Research Programs to achieve the goals of the SP and foster transdisciplinary collaboration and impact; 4) evaluation of Shared Resources, resulting in closure of three facilities and addition of two new Shared Resources (one newly implemented and one in development); 5) creation of new Offices for Community Outreach and Engagement (COE) and Cancer Research Training and Education Coordination (CRTEC); and 6) introduction of a Cancer Service Line Executive Committee and a new Funds Flow model to NCCC. Building upon the prior strategic plan, Senior Leaders led a Center-wide process culminating in the NCCC Strategic Plan (2020-2025). Selected achievements in aligned initiatives include: 1) recruitment of 40 new leading scientists in the current grant period; 2) greater Senior Leadership involvement in clinical trials, with growth in interventional accruals to 1171 in 2019 (increased from 816 in 2015) and strong enrollment of minorities (61.6% of interventional trial accruals); 3) integration of catchment-relevant research into all NCCC research programs and attainment of $10M of funding for cancer disparities research; 4) investment of $8M in a new Translational Team Science Accelerator Program to catalyze paradigm-changing cancer science; 5) deployment of a process to prioritize advancement of novel potential targets and biomarkers, with ten novel potential therapeutic targets now in various stages of development; 6) procurement of a $20M+ investment to construct and staff a cGMP facility to fuel immunotherapy research; 7) development of a new Population Research Shared Resource and expansion of the Data Science Shared Resource to include bioinformatics; and 8) creation of a new translational cancer genomics platform and enhancements to the Molecular Genomics Core, now an NCI-designated Genome Characterization Center. These processes have catalyzed the NCCC’s strategic growth (18% increase in overall cancer research funding and 11% in peer reviewed funding), cancer focus (22% increase in NCI funding – direct costs), and capability to reduce cancer burdens in our catchment area and beyond.