CPRIT distributes public funds to cure and mitigate cancer with the highest standards of ethics, accountability, efficiency, and transparency. This begins by awarding grants using rigorous, independent, unbiased, merit-based peer review. CPRIT’s Compliance Program oversees all aspects of the grant application review, approval and award administration process to ensure a sound fiscal and organizational foundation.
Peer Review
Texas’ leadership in state-of-the-art cancer research and prevention efforts over the past decade is the result of the exceptional projects CPRIT funds. CPRIT relies on highly distinguished scientists, health professionals, product development entrepreneurs and patient advocates who live and work outside of Texas to objectively review all grant proposals. Only applications recommended by these experts move forward for consideration by CPRIT’s Program Integration Committee. Final approval of grants recommended by peer review and the Program Integration Committee requires a two-thirds vote of the Oversight Committee at its quarterly public meeting.
CPRIT is an NCI-approved funding entity
The National Cancer Institute’s endorsement allows CPRIT grants to count toward the research base calculations necessary to earn or maintain NCI Center Status.
Compliance Program
CPRIT’s Compliance Program ensures that Oversight Committee members, agency employees, peer reviewers, and grantees comply with applicable laws, rules, and policies. The program, overseen by the Chief Compliance Officer, manages compliance pedigrees for all grant applications, certifies that all reviewers followed appropriate steps to provide unbiased award recommendations, trains grantees regarding compliance best practices, and provides fiscal and administrative oversight for all grants
Conflict of Interest Information
Bias-free expert reviews ensure that CPRIT prudently invests in projects with the greatest potential impact on cancer. Texas law bars anyone making grant award decisions from acting on an application if the person has a financial, professional, or personal interest in the outcome of the grant application. CPRIT documents all disclosed conflicts of interest, as well as the steps showing that CPRIT recused the person from discussing and voting on the application.
In exceptional circumstances, the reviewer’s participation outweighs the potential bias posed by the reviewer’s conflict. When this happens, state law allows the Oversight Committee to waive the conflict by a vote of the board. In fiscal year 2021, the Oversight Committee approved four conflict of interest waivers. CPRIT has a process for reporting and investigating undisclosed conflicts of interest. CPRIT did not receive any allegations of an undisclosed conflict in fiscal year 2021.