The applicant must meet the following criteria at the time of grant award (July 1, 2009):

• Be a physician (MD, DO or international equivalent) with a full-time faculty appointment in a clinical department at an academic medical center
• Currently hold the rank of full professor (or equivalent) at an academic medical center. If applicant does not hold the rank of full professor, but meets all other eligibility criteria, he/she must provide written explanation of why his/her current rank at their institution should be considered equivalent.
• Made significant contributions that have changed the direction of cancer research
• Be serving as a research mentor to one or more translational researcher(s) in training, and must be planning to continue to provide leadership in this area throughout the award period
• Lead a research team in the conduct of translational research
• Be a member of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO)
• Expect to spend 75% of time during the award period dedicated to translational research activities, leading a team of translational researchers (both in the lab and in the clinic) and mentoring physician-scientists. Individuals with an endowed professorship from their own institution are eligible to apply for this award. Individuals with administrative responsibilities (such as a Division or Department Chair) must clearly document their time commitment for performing research activities and mentoring activities.

The application must originate jointly from the sponsoring institution and the applicant.

The sponsoring institution must be a not-for-profit institution.

• The award period begins July 1, 2009 and concludes June 30, 2014
• The award totals $500,000 and is paid in 5 annual increments of $100,000 throughout the award period. The award funds are directed to the sponsoring institution.
• The award is not designed to cover the total cost of a research project or the investigator's entire compensation, but can be used at the discretion of the awardee to support their overall research activities
• Award payments will be made on or about July 1 of each year of the grant term
• Personnel compensated in whole or in part with funds from the American Society of Clinical Oncology are not considered employees of the Society. Institutions are responsible for issuing the appropriate IRS tax filings for all individuals receiving compensation from American Society of Clinical Oncology awards and are responsible for withholding and paying all required federal, state and local payroll taxes with regard to such compensation. Thus, these and any other tax consequences are the responsibility of the individual recipient and the sponsoring institution.
• The awardee's institution will commit to providing the physical facilities and administrative services necessary to conduct research, and to providing access to the clinical facilities
• The recipient and sponsoring institution will acknowledge the support of The ASCO Cancer Foundation in all publications and presentations of the research funded by this award
• The award recipient will be honored at a special event at the 2009 ASCO Annual Meeting, and is required to attend this event
• The awardee will use the title of ASCO Translational Research Professor as appropriate in professional appearances and publications throughout the award term, and at the completion of their award term will use the title of ASCO Professor for the remainder of their career. Awardees that resign during tenure of the award may continue to use the title also.
• Since the purpose of the grant is to provide greater opportunity for cancer research, if the individual assumes a position with significant administrative responsibilities (such as a department chairmanship) during the award period, they must document their plan to maintain their level of research activities and mentoring activities in order to maintain their award
• The awardee may not be absent for extended periods of time during the award period, such as for a sabbatical leave or leave of absence, without prior approval from The ASCO Cancer Foundation
• A Professorship can be transferred to another institution after reapplication and approval from The ASCO Cancer Foundation Grants Selection Committee
• Throughout the award period, both non-technical and scientific progress reports, and ultimately, a final report are required highlighting the project’s progress and summarizing the use of funds.
• Neither ASCO/The ASCO Cancer Foundation nor the award funder will have any intellectual property rights or other rights in or to data collected or scientific discoveries made through the research funded by the award

1. PI contact information
2. ASCO Member ID#
3. Biosketch
4. Institution information
5. Title of proposed study
6. Abstract (350 words)
7. List of all collaborators
8. Research Effort (%)

Additional Application Components:

1. Personal Statement
2. Budget & Budget approval
3. Project Narrative
4. Letters of support
5. Other Support
6. Institutional approval

Biosketch (4 pages maximum) NIH format

• Applicants must submit a biosketch and the biosketch of researchers they plan to collaborate with on the proposed research project, and the bios of translational researchers that they currently mentor or plan to mentor.

Abstract (350 words maximum; underline 5-10 key words that identify the major focus of the project)

List of collaborators

• These are researchers that the applicant plans to collaborate with on the proposed research project, and the translational researchers that the applicant currently mentor or plan to mentor.

Personal Statement (350 word maximum) 

• This statement should summarize the applicant's personal contributions to cancer research, current ongoing projects, current research team members with clear role definitions, current mentoring responsibilities, as well as future research-related career goals and plans. 

Project Narrative (10 pages maximum, single-spaced, 11pt Arial font) 

• The Translational Research Professorship is designed for established faculty who have demonstrated innovative work and made significant contributions in the area of translational research. Although applicants must show a record of outstanding translational research or creative work, they must also show promise of continued productivity in patient oriented translational research activities, and a commitment to mentoring the future translational researcher. The focus of the narrative should primarily be on the applicant's plans and commitment to mentoring future translational researchers. Evidence of patient interactions in their translational research is preferred.
• This document MUST include all associated figures and tables, but please attach a list of your cited references in a separate document, if needed. 
  • Cited References
  • Clinical Protocol *OPTIONAL*
  • Key Pertinent Prior Publication #1
  • Key Pertinent Prior Publication #2
  • Other Support (only required for the Applicant)
  • Applicant can use the NIH Other SUpport form

Chair/Director Letter of Support

• This letter must be from the Chair or Director of your Department at the sponsoring institution. If the Applicant is the Chair or Director this letter must come from the appropriate dean or equivalent. The letter must contain: 
  • Description of the applicant's leadership role in relation to the research team.
  • Certification of the department's commitment to provide the physical facilities and administrative services necessary to conduct the research, and have access to the clinical facilities throughout the award term
  • Certification that the applicant will devote the time required to translational research activities 
  • (On Applicants with administrative responsibilities) A plan defining the applicant's commitment for performing translational research activities and mentoring activities

Letter of Support from a Translational Research In-training

• The letter must be from a researcher/s mentored by the applicant and must describe the structure of the mentoring relationship, and the intended interaction during the proposed research

Additional Letter of Support (Optional)

• This letter can be from fellow colleagues, and does not need to be from someone within the applicant's sponsoring institution

Budget Form (template is provided)

• Each applicant will be required to identify a Budget Officer at his/her Sponsoring Institution who will be responsible for reviewing and approving the submitted budget. The Budget Officer must approve the submitted budget before the applicant will be permitted to submit his/her application. 
• The award totals $500,000 and is paid in 5 annual increments of $100,000 throughout the award period
• The award is not designed to cover the total cost of a research project nor the investigator's entire compensation, but can be used at the discretion of the awardee to support their overall research activities
• Budget Guidelines
  • $93,500 per year for support of the project
  • $1,500 per year for travel, including the ASCO Annual Meeting
  • $5,000 per year for the institution to help defray its cost related to the administration of the project 

An exclusively selected subcommittee of The ASCO Cancer Foundation Grants Selection Committee will select TRP recipients using a peer-review process and based on the following:

• Qualifications, experience and productivity of the applicant
• Commitment to mentoring the next generation of translational researchers
• Scientific merit, originality and promise of the applicant's ongoing translational research, and the ongoing translational research that the applicant is mentoring
• Documented effective research team leadership
• Facilities and resources available to the applicant to continue their research career and attain their career goals

Due to the expected number of applications, it is not possible to provide information by telephone or other means on the status or specifics of the evaluation of individual applications.