CPRIT oversight committee approves award slates, financing plan, contract renewals and new CEO hire

The Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas oversight committee met in open session and approved a package of grant awards, budget moves and contracts while also confirming personnel actions.

The committee approved the Program Integration Committee’s recommended academic research and product development awards at the PIC’s recommended level of $54,900,000, which the CEO said leaves about $57,000,000 available to award for the remainder of the fiscal year. CEO Wayne Roberts noted, “As I sit here, CPRIT has 48 full time equivalent positions filled,” and outlined staff and pipeline capacity as the committee considered multiple grant slates and associated certifications.

The oversight committee voted to approve 10 academic recruitment awards across the established‑investigator, rising‑star and first‑time tenure‑track mechanisms (the PIC’s slate), delegated contract negotiation authority to the CEO and staff, and approved budget increases for six previously awarded grants totaling $1,164,382. The committee also approved six product‑development awards—funding negotiated to about $22,000,000—and authorized CPRIT to disperse advanced payments to those companies upon contract execution and tranche completion, pursuant to the General Appropriations Act.

Members approved a resolution requesting financing through the Texas Public Finance Authority, including plans to issue approximately $298,100,000 in commercial paper during fiscal 2025 to cover administrative costs and grant reimbursements; the motion was recorded as approved by the committee. CPRIT staff also presented the agency’s Legislative Appropriations Request for the 2026–27 biennium: a proposed base budget of $300,000,000 per year ($600,000,000 for the biennium) and exceptional items including authorization for 10 additional FTEs (raising the cap from 44 to 54), three IT FTEs and 10% pay increases for exempt positions.

The committee approved a contract renewal with General Dynamics Information Technology (GDIT) for grant‑management support not to exceed $10,892,677 in FY25; staff explained that the amount covers the electronic grant management subscription (~$1.6M) and time‑and‑materials labor and indirect costs (~$9.3M).

Compliance and audit updates were presented: Chief Compliance Officer Burgess said his office reviewed more than $26,500,000 in match reviews this fiscal year and identified roughly $225,000 in unallowable match expenses the agency worked with grantees to correct. Internal Auditor Graves reported a recent internal agency compliance audit with no findings and noted remediation of a previous purchasing‑compliance finding related to Form 1295.

Votes at a glance (actions approved)
• Excuse absence of member Hernandez — motion carried.
• Approve meeting minutes (Feb. 21 and March 8) — motion carried.
• Adopt final administrative rule changes to Texas Administrative Code chapter 701 and publish proposed amendments — motion carried.
• Approve CEO’s 39 appointments to peer review committees — motion carried.
• Approve two advisory committee appointments (childhood cancer and prevention advisory committees) — motion carried.
• Approve GDIT contract renewal for grant management support (not to exceed $10,892,677) — motion carried.
• Approve resolution requesting $300,000,000 in financing via Texas Public Finance Authority (commercial paper issuance plan) — motion carried.
• Approve CPRIT Legislative Appropriations Request (base $300M/year, exceptional items including 10 FTEs) — motion carried.
• Approve PIC’s 10 academic recruitment award recommendations and delegate contract authority to the CEO — motion carried.
• Approve increases to budgets for six existing academic research grants totaling $1,164,382 — motion carried.
• Approve six product development award recommendations and authorize advanced payments upon contract execution and tranche completion — motion carried.
• Approve internal audit reports — motion carried.
• Approve an honorary resolution recognizing outgoing CEO Wayne Roberts — motion carried.

Next steps and context: contract negotiation authority was delegated to the CEO and staff so awarded grants can be executed. Staff proposed an ad hoc audit subcommittee meeting to review the LAR structure before final submission. The committee set the next regular meeting for Aug. 21.

The committee’s actions move a significant set of CPRIT funding and administrative steps forward: award execution, contract renewals and financing approvals are now delegated to staff for implementation.