Skip to Navigation
University of Pittsburgh
Print This Page Print this pages

May 31, 2001

PNC Foundation grant supports innovative cancer research

Innovative research at the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute (UPCI) will be supported through a grant from the PNC Foundation.

The PNC Foundation Innovation Award consists of a $150,000 grant to be divided over three years and awarded to individual investigators or teams of investigators at UPCI, said Mia Hallett, vice president and manager of the PNC Foundation.

Ronald Herberman, director of UPCI, said, "The PNC Foundation Innovation Award program will be a valuable resource for the UPCI. Through this award, cancer research that is promising, high quality and cutting-edge can be promoted, thus helping to strengthen our overall research programs and ultimately bringing us closer to finding a cure for this disease."

Herberman added, "There is clearly a need for seed money support that will help bright, creative investigators to fully explore their hypotheses and build credibility for their innovative work — by refining ideas, gathering data and publishing results. This support from the PNC Foundation is an important investment that can leverage funding from the National Institutes of Health and other national sources such as the American Cancer Society."

The first award is expected to be made this summer. Selection will be based on the following criteria:

* Innovation of the research and its perceived potential for advancing cancer prevention, diagnosis and treatment. Priority will be given to a project that demonstrates a strategy for the conversion of laboratory findings into applications of potential clinical importance for patients.

* The quality of the researcher's scientific work and his or her current funding from other sources.

* Long-term commitment to cancer research.

Award recipients will be selected by a committee that includes: the UPCI director, one or more deputy directors, and several senior faculty members who represent a broad range of disciplines and expertise.

In addition, a representative of the PNC Foundation will participate in the process.


Leave a Reply