Translational-Targeted Area of Research Excellence (T-TARE) Awards

The Yale Cancer Center T-TARE Program provides support of up to $200,000 for groups of between three and five investigators headed by a member of the Cancer Center, for research with a significant translational or clinical component, with the express purpose of developing a multi-investigator grant submission to the National Cancer Institute, such as a Program Project Grant or SPORE grant.

Grant Review Process
The primary objectives of the T-TARE awards are to promote translational research and to facilitate collaborations between physicians and scientists. Consistent with these objectives, the review process of the proposals will be collaborative among physicians and scientists. Two individuals – one physician and one scientist – will be assigned to review two proposals and to score the merit of each proposal on a scale of 1 – 9 (1 = lowest/best score, 9 = highest/worst score) according to the criteria defined below. Following review and scoring, each review “team” will present a summary of the proposal and the results of the review to an executive committee, which will determine final funding decisions.

Review criteria:
1. Potential for project developing into a multi-investigator grant proposal within one year
2. Translational potential (overall and within three year time period)
3. Scientific merit/clinical feasibility
4. Strength of collaborative team (scientific strength, successful funding/publication record, commitment to clinical investigation, prior evidence of team interaction)
5. Strength of senior leadership (funding/publication track record)

2021 Award

Targeting Hyperinsulinemia in Breast Cancer

Rachel Perry, PhD

2020 Award

CXCR5-targeted CAR-T for Aggressive T Cell Lymphomas

Elias Lolis, PhD, Samuel Katz, MD, PhD, Francine Foss, MD, and Jason Cai, PhD

2019 Award

Yale Brain SPORE Team

Murat Gunel, MD, and Antonio Omuro, MD ($150,000)

Optimization of Cellular Immunotherapy for Melanoma

Marcus Bosenberg, MD, PhD, and Samuel Katz, MD, PhD ($100,000)

Mechanisms and Biomarkers for Combinatorial Treatment of Solid Tumors with BETi and HDACi

Qin Yan, PhD, and Patricia LoRusso, DO ($150,000)

2016 Award

Barbara Burtness, MD

Head and Neck Cancers

2012 Award Recipients

Roy S. Herbst, MD, PhD
The biology and treatment of primary and metastatic lung cancer
$200K

Harriet Kluger, MD
Comprehensive approaches for understanding and treating melanoma brain metastases
$150K

W. Mark Saltzman, PhD and Joseph Piepmeier, MD
Translation of convection-enhanced delivery of drug-loaded nanoparticles for treatment of glioma
$130K

2013 Award Recipient

Lajos Pusztai
Expanding Therapeutic Options for Triple Negative Breast Cancer
$140,000

For more information on the T-TARE Awards, please contact Edward Kaftan, PhD.