Special Emphasis Panel (SEP) Charter

Function Statement

The Special Emphasis Panel (SEP) will review grant and cooperative agreement applications and contract proposals for research projects and for research and training activities in broad areas of basic and clinical cancer research. Members and Chairs, rather than formally appointed, are selected to serve for individual meetings on an “as needed” basis in response to specific applications or proposals.

Amended Charter

Authority

Authorized by 42 U.S.C. 284(c)(3), section 405(c)(3) of the Public Health Service Act, as amended. The National Cancer Institute (NCI) Special Emphasis Panel (SEP or Panel) is governed by the provisions of the Federal Advisory Committee Act, as amended, (5 U.S.C. app.), which sets forth standards for the formation and use of advisory committees.

Objectives and Scope of Activities

The SEP reviews grant and cooperative agreement applications and contract proposals for research projects and for research and training activities in the broad areas relevant to basic and clinical cancer research. The Panel evaluates proposals for support to make available to the research community, on a competitive basis, contract resources for the preclinical development of drugs, biologics, clinical assays, and other developmental programs that would ultimately benefit the advancement of clinical studies. The Panel will provide input to NCI on scientific prioritization of National Clinical Trials Network (NCTN) concepts across diseases.

Description of Duties

The SEP provides concept review of proposed contract or grant solicitations and reviews grant and cooperative agreement applications and contract proposals for research projects and for research and training activities in the broad areas of basic and clinical cancer sciences, clinical trials prioritization evaluation and applied research and development programs of special relevance to NCI.

The preclinical and clinical discovery and development program Panels, managed by the Division of Cancer Treatment and Diagnosis (DCTD), also evaluates proposals for support to make available to the research community, on a competitive basis, contract resources for the preclinical development of drugs, biologics, clinical assays, and other developmental programs that would ultimately benefit the advancement of clinical studies.

Furthermore, the Panel will provide input to NCI on scientific prioritization of NCTN concepts across diseases guided by a set of criteria when there are insufficient resources to support trials for all NCTN Scientific Steering Committee approved concepts.

Estimated Number and Frequency of Meetings

Meetings of the SEP will be held as necessary.