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Scholar-in-Training Awards: Annual Meeting

Scholar-in-training awards: Annual Meeting

Since its inception in 1986, the AACR Annual Meeting Scholar-in-Training Award program has provided over 5,000 grants to young investigators and has received support from over 70 cancer research foundations, corporations, individuals, and other organizations dedicated to the fight against cancer.

Scholar-in-Training Awards are highly competitive and recognize outstanding young investigators presenting meritorious proffered papers at the AACR Annual Meeting.  While awards are based on meritorious applications across scientific disciplines, some funding has been designated to support awards for applicants meeting specific scientific or geographic criteria; please see Special Award Opportunities below. Scholar-in-Training Award funds are to support attendance at the Annual Meeting.

APPLICATION

The deadline to submit all applications for Scholar-in-Training Awards for the 2026 AACR Annual Meeting was November 18, 2025. Thank you for your interest.

SELECTION OF AWARD RECIPIENTS

Successful applicants will be selected based on the merit of their abstract, CV, and personal statement; every effort will be made to notify awardees by February 2026.

    Conditions and logistics

    • Awardees will pick up their checks at the Annual Meeting. Please note: No further reimbursement will be issued.
    • The Scholar-in-Training Awards are to be used to offset a portion of the registration, travel and subsistence expenses incurred to attend the AACR Annual Meeting. 
    • Awardees will participate in a welcome reception on Monday, April 20, 2026, during the Annual Meeting.  
    • Award recipients will make their own travel arrangements. 
    • Awardees are required to present their work in-person. No remote presentation will be allowed. 
    • If an awardee is unable to attend the Annual Meeting, the award must be forfeited. An awardee who cancels their participation in the Annual Meeting is financially responsible for any costs incurred. 

    SPECIAL Award OPPORTUNITIES

    While awards are based on meritorious applications across scientific disciplines, some funding has been designated to support awards for applicants meeting specific scientific or geographic criteria that are collected within the application or associated with the submitted abstract. This list will be updated as new opportunities arise.

    • AACR-CIHR Scholar-in-Training Awards: The American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) and Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) have established these awards to support early-career investigators who are Canadian citizens or permanent residents of Canada. Special consideration will be given to members of underrepresented groups (as recognized by the Government of Canada and CIHR.) Specific eligibility and additional details about these awards are available on the CIHR website All other general eligibility criteria for Scholar-in-Training Award applicants apply.
    visit the aacr-cihr award page for more information
    • AACR-Kidney Cancer Collaborative Scholar-in-Training Awards: The American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) and the Kidney Cancer Collaborative have established these awards to support and nurture early-career investigators in kidney cancer research. Awards will be considered for work focused on general kidney cancer research, pediatric kidney cancer, chromophobe kidney cancer, Von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) Disease, and renal medullary carcinoma. All other general eligibility criteria for Scholar-in-Training Award applicants apply. Additional post-meeting networking and educational opportunities will be available to award recipients.

    Additional Award Opportunities:

    • Brain Cancer
    • Desmoplastic Small Round Cell Tumors (DSRCT)
    View the 2025 Scholar-in-Training Recipients

    2025 supporters

    The AACR gratefully acknowledges the supporters who enabled us to provide 179 Scholar-in-Training Awards for the AACR Annual Meeting 2025. 

    • AbbVie, through an Independent Educational Grant
    • Ajit Singh, PhD
    • Alfred and Cathy Fraser
    • American Association for Cancer Research 
    • American Brain Tumor Association
    • Barbara Campbell Creighton Scholarship 
    • Breast Cancer Research Foundation
    • Canadian Institutes of Health Research
    • Carol Henry
    • Chris “CJ” Johnson Foundation
    • Chromophobe and Oncocytic Tumor Alliance
    • Debbie’s Dream Foundation
    • Doreen J. Putrah Cancer Research Foundation
    • The Estate of June L. Biedler
    • Exact Sciences Corp
    • Family of Dan Y. Zhang
    • Glenn Sykes
    • International Kidney Cancer Coalition
    • James V. Buzzitta, MD Family Fund
    • Joey’s Wings
    • John and Joe Warner
    • The John Kincade Scholarship Fund
    • Judy Nicholson Kidney Cancer Foundation
    • KidneyCAN
    • Kidney Cancer Association 
    • The Margaret Foti Foundation 
    • Ludwig Cancer Research
    • Pezcoller Foundation
    • Prostate Cancer Foundation
    • Rare Cancer Research Foundation
    • Sanofi
    • Silken Twine Charity
    • Stan Divorski and Nancy Staisey 
    • Steve and Nancy Reyda 
    • Touch Black Breast Cancer Alliance 
    • Triple Negative Breast Cancer Foundation 

    Inquiries

    If you have any questions related to Scholar-in-Training Awards for the Annual Meeting, please email us at [email protected].