Research Dollars Fuel Cancer Studies
The OSUCCC – James received 71 peer-reviewed research grants in 2011, of which 21 came from the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and totaled $20.5 million. The cancer program’s total NCI funding stood at $48 million, ranking 15th among cancer centers nationally. “One of our goals is to be among the top 10 NCI-funded programs,” says OSUCCC Director and James CEO Michael A. Caligiuri, MD. “To reach today’s top 10, we’ll need to fill the gap between $48 million and $61 million. We hope to achieve that within the next few years. Dollars are truly the driving force in cancer research.” The OSUCCC – James’ entire grant portfolio totals more than $110 million.
Pelotonia '11 Raises $13.1 Million
Riders and donors in Pelotonia 2011, the third annual grassroots bicycle tour that raises money for cancer research at the OSUCCC – James, generated a record $13,108,639, a 68-percent increase over the 2010 total of $7.8 million. From Aug. 19-21, 4,986 riders from 38 states and four countries rode up to 180 miles on one of four routes between Columbus and Athens, Ohio. The three-year Pelotonia fundraising total is about $25.47 million. Every dollar raised is invested in research initiatives, including: fellowship awards enabling Ohio State students at all levels of scholarship to conduct cancer studies in the labs of faculty mentors; “idea” grants that help teams of faculty researchers start innovative projects that might attract future funding from external sources; the purchase of new equipment to assist the more than 270 researchers at the OSUCCC – James; and the recruitment/retention of top medical scientists to Ohio State’s cancer program.