The faculty-team projects will be funded by the OSUCCC – James’ Intramural Research Program (IRP), which receives extensive Pelotonia support. IRP funding, which includes Idea Grants and other awards, goes to groups of scientists who competitively propose innovative studies that will generate data to help them compete later for larger grants from the National Cancer Institute and other external sources.
Since 2010, Pelotonia money has enabled the OSUCCC – James to fund 166 faculty-team projects involving more than 300 investigators who have represented 11 colleges at Ohio State, as well as Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus and Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center. Recently funded projects focus on such topics as immunotherapy for lung cancer, a new targeted therapy for ovarian cancer, pancreatic cancer immune suppression and disease progression, reducing neurologic side effects of colorectal cancer treatment and exploring genomic targets for cancer prevention, to name some.
The Pelotonia Fellowship Program also started in 2010 and, through an annual allocation of $2 million, has awarded 534 fellowships to Ohio State students in any discipline or level of scholarship who want to conduct cancer research with faculty guidance. Collectively the awards have gone to 244 undergraduates, 158 graduates, 126 postdoctoral fellows and six professional students.