• Converting the most meritorious NCI R01 applications from early-stage investigators to Method to Extend Research in Time (MERIT) R37 awards (755), which provide longer term support; and • Supporting the Cancer Moonshot Scholars program, which seeks to diversify the NCI R01 portfolio to increase the number of applications from early-stage investigators from diverse backgrounds, including those that are underrepresented in the STEM workforce (756). The influx of innovative ideas from young scientists with various backgrounds is critical for future breakthroughs against cancer and other diseases. It is concerning that there has been a decline in the number of postdoctoral researchers in the life sciences, as many have expressed that low compensation, diminishing funding sources, and uncertain career trajectories were key drivers of that dissatisfaction in extramural postdoctoral research training (757759). To understand how to address the factors that influence postdoctoral training and retention in academia, NIH released a Request for Information (760) in February 2023 in order to receive feedback that will inform recommendations to better support the medical research community. As Congress considers both annual appropriations and supplemental funding, it will be vital to invest in additional resources to support early-career researchers. Robust, sustained, and predictable funding increases for NIH and NCI are critical to ensure that these programs continue. Ensuring Safe and Effective Cancer Therapies Through Regulatory Science FDA performs a critical role in ensuring that new anticancer therapies are safe and effective for patients. FDA’s complexity and workload have continually increased as new categories of therapies become available and inspections are needed across the globe. Therefore, FDA’s staff, technology, and processes must also be continually enhanced in order to provide effective and efficient oversight of drug development and manufacturing. FDA is funded through user fees paid by the pharmaceutical industry and congressionally appropriated funds, both of which are critical to support staff, technology modernization, and regulatory science programs that improve clinical trials. These crucial funds support FDA’s mission to regulate approximately one fifth of the U.S. economy that includes ensuring medicinal products used by Americans are safe and effective. NCI Success Rates Success rates at the National Cancer Institute (NCI), i.e., the percentage of grant applications that receive funding through NCI, have steadily declined over the past two decades for both targeted and untargeted research. Targeted research is the research for which an institute solicits grant applications in a specific scientific area using Request for Applications (RFAs), and funds meritorious applications from a pool of dollar amount specifically set aside for that research area. Untargeted Research is the research that is not funded through grant solicitation in response to an RFA. FIGURE 23 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 SUCCESS RATE (%) 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 Success Rate of Targeted Success Rate of Untargeted FISCAL YEAR AACR Cancer Progress Report 2023 155 Advancing the Future of Cancer Research and Patient Care Through the Adoption of Evidence-Based Policies
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