Texas voters overwhelmingly approved a constitutional amendment in 2007 establishing the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT) and authorizing the state to issue $3 billion in bonds to fund groundbreaking cancer research and prevention programs and services in Texas. CPRIT’s goal is to expedite innovation in cancer research and product development, and to enhance access to evidence-based prevention programs throughout the state. Under the guidance of its governing body, the Oversight Committee, CPRIT accepts applications and awards grants for a wide variety of cancer-related research and for the delivery of cancer prevention programs and services by public and private entities located in Texas. All CPRIT-funded research will be conducted in state by Texas-based scientists and reflect CPRIT’s mission to attract and expand the state’s research capabilities and create high quality new jobs in Texas.
CPRIT is charged by the Texas Legislature to:
Create and expedite innovation in the area of cancer research, thereby enhancing the potential for a medical or scientific breakthrough in the prevention of cancer and cures for cancer;
Attract, create, or expand research capabilities of public or private institutions of higher education and other public or private entities that will promote a substantial increase in cancer research and in the creation of high-quality new jobs in this State; and
Continue to develop and implement the Texas Cancer Plan by promoting the development and coordination of effective and efficient statewide public and private policies, programs, and services related to cancer and by encouraging cooperative, comprehensive, and complementary planning among the public, private, and volunteer sectors involved in cancer prevention, detection, treatment, and research.
CPRIT will maintain the highest integrity and dedication to the mission of finding a cure for cancer. CPRIT’s objective is to position Texas as a world-class leader in research and prevention through collaboration with a variety of entities, including public and private institutions of higher education, academic health institutions, universities, governmental organizations, nongovernmental organizations, public and private companies and others involved in the fight against cancer. CPRIT supports innovation in the selection of research projects emphasizing immediate or long-term medical breakthroughs; product development opportunities for research, and prevention services and health education for citizens with culturally appropriate information about ways in which their risks of developing and dying from cancer can be reduced.
