AACR Annual Report 2021

sections

Scientific Review and Grants Administration

Investing In Innovation

Since 1993, the AACR has distributed more than $545 million in grants to promising basic, translational, and clinical researchers at all career levels. This critical funding sustains the pipeline of cancer scientists and drives progress across the spectrum of basic, translational, and clinical research to improve outcomes for patients with cancer.

New Funding Partners. The AACR’s network of funding partners expanded in 2021 with the establishment of two new relationships:

Supporting Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and Addressing Cancer Health Disparities. Through its Minorities in Cancer Research and Women in Cancer Research membership groups, its pioneering conference, “The Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved,” and its series of disparities research fellowships, the AACR has prioritized the advancement of equity in the cancer workforce as well as in outcomes for patients with cancer for more than 20 years. In 2021, the AACR entered into a series of new funding partnerships to bolster these long-standing efforts:

Avery D. Posey, Jr., PhD
AACR Grantee

45

Grants were awarded in 2021 to meritorious scientists from more than 30 institutions to support innovative cancer science.

745

Applications for AACR grants from the United States and 29 other countries were evaluated in 2021.

$2.34 million

Amount of research grant funding awarded to 21 postdoctoral and clinical fellows to advance their career development in 2021.

$4.25 million

Amount awarded to 24 independent investigators at all career levels—including young investigators, mid-career researchers, and established scientists—to support meritorious cancer research.

227

Expert scientists served on 14 scientific review committees to select the 2021 grant recipients. The AACR is a trusted administrator of research grants, providing fair, rigorous, and transparent peer review.

Stand Up To Cancer

The AACR proudly serves as the Scientific Partner of Stand Up To Cancer (SU2C), a program of the Entertainment Industry Foundation that supports collaborative, translational cancer research in order to bring new therapies to patients more quickly.

New Leadership

In February, Edith Perez, MD (right), was named as the newest vice-chair of the SU2C Scientific Advisory Committee (SAC). The SAC provides insight and guidance to SU2C, setting the direction for its research initiatives, reviewing proposals for new grant awards, and conducting rigorous oversight of all active grants in the SU2C portfolio. A former member of the AACR Board of Directors, Dr. Perez is an internationally known translational researcher and the chair of the SU2C Health Equity Committee.

Cancer Interception Symposium

In conjunction with SU2C and its funding partners, the AACR organized this inaugural symposium in August. The virtual meeting was moderated by Nobel Laureate and Fellow of the AACR Academy Elizabeth H. Blackburn, PhD, FAACR, who serves as the vice-chair of the SU2C Scientific Advisory Committee.

Cancer Interception Symposium

In conjunction with SU2C and its funding partners, the AACR organized this inaugural symposium in August. The virtual meeting was moderated by Nobel Laureate and Fellow of the AACR Academy Elizabeth H. Blackburn, PhD, FAACR, who serves as the vice-chair of the SU2C Scientific Advisory Committee.

Science and Education

Policy and Advocacy