AACR Launches Career Development Awards to Further Diversity in Cancer Research

Grants for both clinical and non-clinical cancer research investigators from under-represented ethnic groups to foster their career advancement.

The American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) is a large professional organisation dedicated to advancing cancer research. Its mission is to prevent and cure cancer through research, education, communication and collaboration.

The AACR has launched two Career Development Awards in cancer research to aid the development of highly talented clinical and non-clinical cancer researchers from under-represented groups, specifically members of racial or ethnic groups that have been shown to be underrepresented in the cancer related sciences.

For the clinical awards, projects should be conducted by early-stage scientists engaged in clinical cancer research. The proposed project should be related to the applicant’s clinical activities, must directly involve patients or utilise patient samples, and may be in translational or clinical research with direct applicability and relevance to the understanding, detection, diagnosis, interception, treatment, or prevention of cancer. The grant has a value of $375,000 over three years.

For the non-clinical awards, projects should be conducted by early-stage scientists conducting basic, translational, pre-clinical, or population sciences related research with direct applicability and relevance to the understanding, detection, diagnosis, interception, treatment, or prevention of cancer. The grant has a value of $300,000 over three years.

For both awards, eligible funding costs include salary and benefits of the grant recipient and any collaborator, postdoctoral or clinical research fellows, graduate students (including tuition costs associated with graduate students’ education and training), research assistants; research/laboratory supplies; equipment; publication charges for manuscripts that pertain directly to the funded project; and other research expenses.

In addition to financial support, grantees may have the opportunity to interact and/or collaborate with other AACR-funded investigators as well as the greater AACR membership community. They may also have the opportunity – through the AACR’s Minorities in Cancer Research (MICR) constituency group – to attend professional development sessions, networking forums and receptions, and MICR town hall meetings, providing opportunities to establish relationships with colleagues and potential mentors.

Applicants must belong to racial or ethnic group(s) that have been shown to be underrepresented in the cancer related sciences workforce. The AACR recognises that, for both US and international applicants, underrepresentation can vary from setting to setting, and individuals from a variety of racial or ethnic groups may be eligible to apply.

Applicants must have a doctoral degree (including PhD, MD, MD/PhD, or equivalent) in a related field and not currently be a candidate for a further doctoral degree. At the start of the grant term, applicants must:

• Hold an independent faculty appointment at the rank of assistant professor level or equivalent. This includes appointments such as research assistant professor, adjunct assistant professor, assistant professor research track, or visiting professor.
• Have independent laboratory space as confirmed by the home institution.
• Be working at an academic, medical, or research institution anywhere in the world.

There are no citizenship or geographic requirements; however, an applicant applying from an institution located within a country where they are not a citizen or permanent resident, by submitting an application for this grant, assures that their visa status will provide sufficient time to complete the project and grant term at the institution from which they applied.

AACR membership is required. Non-members must submit a satisfactory application for AACR Associate Membership by the deadline.

Applications for either award should be submitted by the 30 November 2021 deadline.

(This report was the subject of a ResearchConnect Newsflash.)