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The ASCO Cancer Foundation Grants Program supports high-quality clinical research in cancer care and prevention. Established in 1983, the Program is now celebrating its 25th anniversary in 2008. A booklet commemorating the Grants Program’s 25-year history is available at The ASCO Cancer Foundation booth and at various locations throughout the convention center. The booklet is an acknowledgment and celebration of the many significant accomplishments and events that have led to the current 25-year milestone.
The ASCO Cancer Foundation Grants Program is and has been a cornerstone resource for many ASCO members engaged in clinical research at various stages of their careers. The 25-year history described briefly in the commemorative booklet demonstrates a commitment to the ongoing discovery and delivery of high-quality cancer care. The ASCO Cancer Foundation has introduced the 25-year anniversary booklet to both inform and encourage continued support of and participation in the Grants Program.
The information presented in the booklet tells the story of the Grants Program’s tremendous growth — in number of applications received and evaluated, in the amount of funding awarded, and in the types of grants submitted. The numbers themselves and the expansion they attest to are remarkable. As the detailed information presented in the booklet illustrates, the story also is one of leadership, of mentorship, and of the work and commitment involved in delivering the promise of cancer research and the treatment advances it offers.
Mentorship to Leadership
The value of The ASCO Cancer Foundation Grants Program to cancer research is experienced in many ways: by the grant recipients who are supported in their careers at critical periods in their development as oncology leaders; by vital and needed advances in cancer research; and by patients and their families who are helped by the innovative treatments and enriched supportive care that come as a result of funded research.
The role of the Grants Program in supporting the high value of mentorship and collaboration among ASCO members is key to the program’s effect and success. Fostering and supporting the mentorship of the grant applicant supports the investigator’s continued professional growth. As the commemorative booklet demonstrates, history shows that the receipt of an ASCO Cancer Foundation Grant is an indicator of the future leadership performance of the grant recipient. This attests to the high-quality selection process and the high value of mentorship involved in the development of many grant applications. The Grants Program’s 25-year history — the highlights that are described in detailed in the booklet — has provided support to aspiring and early clinical investigators, many of whom now are the mentors of the next generation.
25-year History of Funding Credible Cancer Research
The booklet documents the growth in The ASCO Cancer Foundation Grants Program during the past 25 years, which represents a response to the needs of patients for ongoing and credible cancer research. The ASCO Cancer Foundation is grateful to the many commercial companies that have been and are highly supportive of this initiative. As well, the Foundation is hard at work to enhance awareness of the Grants Program among foundation and philanthropic donors whose organizational and often personal missions also are advanced through cancer research. Many ASCO leaders, committees, and members-at-large provide support to this program that is so important to colleagues and to the future of the field; the hope and goal is that this support continues to grow.
The 25-year history commemorative booklet is a story of need, support, giving, and of a belief and investment in the funding of cancer research. The ASCO Cancer Foundation Grants Program advances cancer care through its grants program, continuing the original mission to encourage and recognize excellence in clinical research in the field of oncology.
Visit The ASCO Cancer Foundation booth, and pick up a copy of the booklet to learn more about the program’s 25-year history and plans for the future.
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