NExT GOVERNANCE STRUCTURE

The hierarchical governance structure of the NExT Program is designed to streamline the decision process within and across projects. At the core of this structure is the Project Team, which is responsible for day-to-day project operational decisions within the constraints of the allocated resources. Balancing the allocation of the available resources between projects in the portfolio is the responsibility of NExT Senior Advisory Committee (SAC) composed of NCI staff. Accordingly, the SAC is responsible for decisions to initiate projects by effectively allocating resources, to sustain resources throughout project progress based on project prioritization, and to close projects by removing resources. These data-driven decisions will be made based on the scientific and pragmatic evaluation of individual discovery or development projects by the NExT Discovery or Development Committees, respectively, each composed of NCI staff. The Discovery Committee will provide oversight to discovery projects to ensure that all the scientific objectives have been met to trigger nomination of a clinical candidate. Once a clinical candidate has been nominated by the Project Team and approved by the Discovery Committee, project oversight will be the responsibility of the NExT Development Committee.

To ensure a comprehensive scientific evaluation of each project, each NExT Committee is advised by Special Emphasis Panels (SEPs) composed of non-NCI staff who have specialized discovery or development expertise. The dynamic SEPs, consisting of key thought leaders, will bring diverse perspectives to the conduct of a quarterly project prioritization of the NCI portfolio by providing insight into the scientific direction of the NCI pipeline.

Overall oversight and accountability of the NCI pipeline will be provided by the Senior Management Committee (SMC). The SMC consists of members of NCI's Senior Leadership, including the NCI Director and Directors of DCTD and CCR, Associate Directors of relevant programs, including DTP, and ad hoc expert government participants, as determined by the NCI Director. The SMC will perform evaluative functions and provide guidance, final conflict resolution, and resources for the fiscal stability of the NExT pipeline. It will also have final authority in establishing policies for the operations of the NExT pipeline.

As the discovery engine of the NExT pipeline, the Chemical Biology Consortium (CBC) will be most effective if the collective insight, experience, and expertise of its Centers and Participants can be shared with senior NCI officials. The CBC Steering Committee will meet on a quarterly basis to provide intellectual contributions on operational strategy and suggestions for improving CBC operations. Creating this body of expertise within the CBC will provide far-ranging benefit for all Participants, enhancing the therapeutic significance of new scientific findings and the recognition of unexpected opportunities. The CBC Steering Committee will consist of Participants, most notably, principal investigators from the Specialized and Comprehensive Screening and Chemistry Centers.