Identifying Strategic Scientific Opportunities at NCI

As part of the NCI Office of the Director, CRS works with the Divisions, Offices, and Centers (DOCs) to identify research opportunities to advance NCI's vision for the future of cancer research.

Preparing the NCI Annual Plan and Budget Proposal

This scientific planning and budget document is sent to the President and Congress each fiscal year to advise them of NCI’s best professional judgment on the funding needed to make the most rapid progress against cancer. CRS convenes NCI staff and extramural researchers to gather ideas for research areas that would benefit from additional support. The Center also works with stakeholders to highlight accomplishments that communicate the impact of the nation’s investment in cancer research and to build a vision for the future. CRS collaborates with NCI’s budget, congressional relations, and communications offices to formulate a budget and communicate the plan.

Coordinating Strategic Opportunity Initiatives

CRS works across the DOCs to identify and catalyze research opportunities. One example is CRS’s coordination efforts in the field of cancer disparities, an NCI high-priority area. One initiative focuses on characterizing early-age-of-onset cancers in several racial/ethnic groups. Another initiative focuses on multiple myeloma, which affects black populations at twice the rate of white populations. The goal of both initiatives is to understand the factors that contribute to the observed disparities.