AACR International

The AACR reaches across national borders, having collaborated with scientific organizations on five continents in 2021 to explore the frontiers of cancer research and to develop the global workforce needed to expand them.

• JCA-AACR Precision Cancer Medicine International Conference
  September 10–12; Virtual
  Cochaired by AACR Past President Elaine R. Mardis, PhD, FAACR (near right), and Hiroyuki Mano, MD, PhD (far right), this new collaboration between the Japanese Cancer Association (JCA) and the AACR showcased the latest advances in precision cancer medicine. The cutting-edge program included sessions on liquid biopsy, immuno-oncology, and artificial intelligence in precision medicine. While the inaugural conference was offered in a virtual format, future conferences will be held in Japan every two to three years.

• AACR on Campus, in Partnership with SLACOM
  November 23, November 30, December 2; Virtual
  The AACR collaborated with the Latin American and Caribbean Society of Medical Oncology (SLACOM) to develop this program to provide a thorough education in implementation science to academic and cancer research institutions in Latin America. The program was designed by cochairs Ophira Ginsburg, MD, MSc, International Agency for Research on Cancer, Lyon, France; Raúl Murillo, MD, MPH, Javeriana Center for Oncology, University Hospital, San Ignacio, Bogotá, Colombia; Silvia Neciosup, MD, National Cancer Institute of Peru, Lima, Peru; and Gilberto Schwartsmann, MD, Academic Hospital, Federal University, Porto Alegre, Brazil.

The three-day virtual program explored the links between implementation research and practice as applied to cancer detection, prevention, and care, and outlined processes for the successful incorporation of evidence-based practices. The sessions included training in career development skills such as manuscript writing and scientific communication.

Other International Collaborations

The AACR worked with several organizations to develop joint sessions for the following international conferences:

• EACR Congress
  June 9–11; Virtual
  AACR President David A. Tuveson, MD, PhD, FAACR (right), joined European Association for Cancer Research (EACR) President Caroline Dive, PhD, to cochair the AACR-EACR Joint Symposium on “Targeting MYC and RAS Driven Cancer.”

• Frontiers in Cancer Science
  November 1–3; Virtual
  The AACR worked with the Singapore-based organizers of Frontiers in Cancer Science (FCS) to offer three joint Education Sessions:
• "Cellular Senescence: Role in Aging and Cancer," presented by Jesús Gil Valles, PhD
• "Mechanisms of Response versus Resistance to Cancer Immunotherapy," presented by Thomas F. Gajewski, MD, PhD
• "How to Survive in Academic Science," presented by Gerard I. Evan, PhD, FAACR

• XXII Brazilian Congress of Clinical Oncology
  November 17–20; Salvador, Brazil
  The Brazilian Congress of Clinical Oncology (SBOC) and the AACR organized a joint session on “Translational Medicine.” Presenters included AACR Past President Carlos L. Arteaga, MD, FAACR, Victor Velculescu, MD, PhD, Carlos Gil Moreira Ferreira, PhD, and Antonio Carlos Buzaid, MD.

Travel Awards and Grants

In 2021, the AACR developed new partnerships to expand its slate of opportunities for international investigators:

• 2021 Global Scholar-in-Training Award. The AACR Global Scholar-in-Training Award (GSITA) program was designed to provide support for attendance at the AACR Annual Meeting to meritorious early-career scientists from countries that are building cancer research capacities. However, when the AACR Annual Meeting 2021 was held virtually in response to the ongoing pandemic, the GSITA program was reconstituted as an online program.

GSITA recipients participated in four virtual programs during the meeting: a Flash Presentation Poster Session, in which awardees introduced themselves and their work; an Alumni Networking Session where current and previous GSITA recipients networked with each other and learned about AACR initiatives; a Career Development Session featuring advice from distinguished senior AACR members from around the world; and a Slack Workgroup to facilitate communication and connection during the meeting.

• Beginning Investigator Grants for Catalytic Research. Originally founded in 2010 by the NCI CGH in partnership with the African Organisation for Research and Training in Cancer (AORTIC), the Beginning Investigator Grants for Catalytic Research (BIG Cat) program supports two-year cancer research projects conducted by early-career investigators in Africa in order to expand and develop the cancer workforce on the continent. In November, the AACR announced a new partnership with NCI CGH and AORTIC to administer the next cohort of BIG Cat grants. Beginning in 2022, the AACR-administered grants—which are made possible through the support of Takeda Oncology—will provide up to $55,000 over two years to support research projects conducted in Africa by African investigators.