Sydney Vital Translational Cancer Research Plan was driven by the NSW Cancer Plan and Cancer Institute NSW research goals below:

Sydney Vital Translational Cancer Centre brings together leading researchers and clinicians across our network with the purpose of improving outcomes for patients with cancer. Sydney Vital has developed a strategic plan comprising of overarching flagship programs, translational centres of excellence, pillars and research infrastructure.

Vision: Establish Sydney Vital as a competitive network of excellence in conducting collaborative translational research to improve patient outcomes.

Mission: Encourage and promote innovation and collaboration among preclinical and clinical researchers to support cancer research across the translational research pipeline.

Objectives:

  • Enhance collaborations.
  • Build a supportive governance structure.
  • Develop and maintain essential research infrastructure.
  • Build a process to link the right people to do research.
  • Standardize process to identify right questions that align with health priorities.
  • Facilitate comprehensive research training and educational programs.
  • Identify process, disseminate research findings and support the implementation of evidence into practice in an efficient manner.

Based on ongoing discussions, reviewer’s comments and advice and a clearer understanding of local expertise and strengths, Sydney Vital’s strategic plan has evolved over the past years to now focus on broad and overarching research themes spanning multiple tumour streams. Three flagship themes have emerged and now include Inflammation, Theranostics and Nano-oncology. Previously, Flagship 3 was focused on implementation in breast cancer and has now become a translational center of excellence (TCE) in Breast Cancer Implementation. Opportunities for implementation research will now be incorporated within each Flagship program. To further capitalise on local clinical and research strengths we have formed seven TCEs in predominantly rare tumours.