The University of Chicago has been awarded $66 million in renewal funding from the National Cancer Institute to support the NRG Oncology Statistics and Data Management Center, which provides expertise in biostatistics, data management, and operational support for national clinical trials.
NRG Oncology is a member of the National Cancer Institute's National Clinical Trials Network program, consisting of five network groups that conduct clinical trials across a spectrum of adult and pediatric cancers.
The Statistics and Data Management Center for NRG Oncology currently has over 100 active trials developing therapies for brain, head and neck, gastrointestinal, prostate, bladder, lung, gynecologic, and breast cancers. There are also trials designed to reduce side effects and adverse events, as well as cancer prevention, and cancer care delivery.
In the past, these trials have delivered real improvements to treatment and patient quality of life—in several instances, changing the recommended standard practice across the field.
“The National Clinical Trials Network program is a critical component of our national cancer therapeutic, translational science, and prevention program, producing practice-changing research for all types of cancer,” said James Dignam, Professor in the Department of Public Health Sciences, who will again serve as the Principal Investigator and Executive Director of the Statistics and Data Management Center.
The NRG Oncology Statistics and Data Management Center comprises about 90 individuals over four collaborating institutions. It is responsible for trial design in collaboration with investigators; data collection and management; safety and efficacy monitoring; auditing and quality control of data and practices; and trial reporting.
In addition, the center undertakes methodologic research pertinent to clinical trials, leads investigator education in trial conduct, and collaborates on the group’s broader research agenda, including cancer translational science.
“Clinical trials are central to the development of novel and life-saving cancer detection, prevention or treatment strategies,” said Kunle Odunsi, director of the UChicago Medicine Comprehensive Cancer Center and Dean for Oncology in the Biological Sciences Division. “The conduct of NCI-supported trials involves a complex system of designing, reviewing and initiating studies. As such, UChicago is proud to house the SDMC, which makes these clinical trials possible.”
To date, the program has resulted in improvements for multiple types of cancer treatments. For example, trials demonstrated that patients with prostate cancer could halve the number of radiation treatments without loss of effectiveness—a substantial improvement for patient quality of life, and one that has been adopted as a standard of care. Another trial found a particular therapy course substantially improved outcomes for women with advanced or recurring endometrial cancer; it has also been widely adopted.
Leadership in cancer research
UChicago is uniquely positioned to lead this effort. Many members of the UChicago Medicine Comprehensive Cancer Center serve as key leaders and trial investigators across the program, including NRG Oncology; Dignam has extensive experience in multi-center clinical trials spanning over 25 years, including his former position as the Executive Director of the Statistics Center for the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group (now a member of NRG Oncology) from 2009–2014.
UChicago collaborators Mei Polley and Ted Karrison are experienced clinical trialists with deep expertise in relevant trial methodology and conduct, as well as the specific disease areas (brain and prostate cancer, respectively) in which they engage for NRG Oncology. Other SDMC members at the UChicago Department of Public Health Sciences include Eric Polley, Associate Professor, and Nika Agrawal, Project Manager/Analyst.
The six-year grant cycle began March 1, 2026. In the previous program cycle, NRG Oncology produced over 300 publications, including more than 40 articles addressing statistical methodology relevant to clinical trials.
—Adapted from an article published by the Biological Sciences Division.