The American Association for Cancer Research requests renewal of support for the project
entitled ?Young Minority Scientists in the Field of Cancer.? The funds provide scholar awards to
support the attendance of young scientists from NIH-recognized minority populations at highcaliber
national scientific meetings. This project is an integral part of a multilevel program
instituted by the AACR to address the problem of under-representation of minorities working in
cancer research and biomedical science.
Predoctoral (graduate and medical) students, clinical and postdoctoral fellows, residents, and
junior investigators, who are either engaged in cancer research or have the training and the
potential to make contributions in the field, are eligible for the award. It also applies only to
minority groups that have been defined by the NCI as being traditionally underrepresented in
cancer and biomedical research: African-Americans, Alaskan Natives, Hispanic or Latino
Americans, Native Americans, and Native Pacific Islanders. Awardees receive funds for travel,
hotel, subsistence, and registration fees in conjunction with their attendance at the AACR
Annual Meeting or an AACR Special Conference. Their attendance at one of these meetings
exposes them to the full spectrum of high-quality cancer research being performed nationally
and internationally, and buttresses their knowledge base in the cancer field.
The project also aims to increase the number of minority scientists and physicians working in
cancer research and biomedical science, to contribute to the research training and networking
opportunities of young minority investigators in the cancer field, and to facilitate relationships
between young minority scientists and senior investigators in the field, who may function as
mentors and thereby contribute to the career development and professional success of young
scientists as cancer researchers. |