August 20, 2015 3:47 PM

CPRIT board wrestles with measures of efficiency in grants

“We want to find out what it is that you did, what did you discover and what is the relevance….and put it in taxpayer/legislator terms in order to pass around to legislators and media.”

The Cancer Research Policy Institute of Texas’ oversight committee has signed off on $25 million in competitive grants to bring high-profile research cancer researchers to various universities in the state.

The oversight committee is charged with administration of the Texas Cancer Plan, which gives direction to $3 billion in bonds approved by voters in 2007. The quasi-agency has been under fire for conflicts of interest in some grant awards, with CPRIT’s former commercialization officer Jerry Cobb on trial in Austin this week for approving grants without proper business or scientific scrutiny.

Back at the Capitol, the jury appears to still be out on what methods might be effective measures of CPRIT’s progress on its mission to prevent and cure cancer. Board members appeared keenly aware of the scrutiny of the state’s media on CPRIT, with board member Craig Rosenfeld asking CEO Wayne Roberts directly how success could be explained to media.

By Kimberly Reeves