The National Cancer Institute (NCI) awarded the OSUCCC – James a perfect score of 10 and the institute’s highest descriptor, “exceptional,” following a 2015 site review that resulted in Ohio State’s redesignation as a comprehensive cancer center—a designation the university has competitively maintained since 1976.
The renewal means that the OSUCCC – James will retain its status as one of only 45 CCCs in the nation and will receive another five years of NCI multimillion dollar core grant funding support for scientific leadership and administration, shared technology and services, and development.
It was the second consecutive time in 10 years that the OSUCCC – James has earned the NCI’s “exceptional” rating, having also done so in 2010.
“For over a year, leadership and members of our Comprehensive Cancer Center—from all corners of campus—worked as a team to submit, in January 2015, a more than 1,800-page competitive application to renew our NCI designation,” says OSUCCC Director and James CEO Michael A. Caligiuri, MD.
“In May 2015, an NCI-selected peer-review team of cancer experts from across the nation visited us for a day and a half to further evaluate all aspects of our center,” Caligiuri adds. “This paralleled the peer-review process that we completed in 2010, when the NCI first bestowed upon us its highest merit descriptor of ‘exceptional’ and a numeric score of 12. The best possible score is 10.”
Caligiuri says the OSUCCC – James’ perfect score on the 2015 five year competitive renewal application for CCC status “moves us firmly into an elite group of cancer centers in the country. Our ‘exceptional’ rating represents amazing peer recognition that now spans a decade. I congratulate all of our faculty and staff for the incredible work they have done and continue to do in advancing cancer research and, ultimately, cancer care.”
Caligiuri also appreciates the central Ohio community “that works tirelessly on our behalf to help support our innovative research efforts through their incredible leadership and fundraising efforts. The OSUCCC – James is very fortunate to have such wonderful partners helping us pursue our vision of a cancer-free world.”