Join the AACR Professional Excellence Program
AACR PEP Eligibility Requirements and Desired Applicant Attributes
Appointment
- Applicants must hold their first academic or clinical faculty appointment at the time of application (tenure-track status is not required).
- Candidate must receive a support letter from a cancer center director in order for the application to be considered complete.
- Candidates must be citizens or permanent residents of the United States, Puerto Rico, or Canada.
- Eligible titles include:
- Assistant professor, clinical assistant professor, attending physician with academic affiliation
- Instructor or equivalent (for institutions without professorial or clinician investigator ranks)
- Research-track faculty or clinical investigator at institutions without tenure systems
Time Since Completion of Formal Training
- Applicants must be three to seven years from the first academic appointment (assistant professor or equivalent)
- Formal Training Includes:
- Postdoctoral fellowship
- Clinical fellowship
- Any required discipline‑specific training prior to independent appointment
Ineligible Career Stages
The following individuals are not eligible for the 2027-2028 AACR PEP:
- Postdoctoral fellows
- Clinical fellows
- Trainees without an academic or clinical appointment
Desired Applicant Attributes
- Strong potential as future leaders
- Commitment to cancer research, including basic, clinical, translational, and population‑based research
- Evidence of growing independence
- Clear rationale for wanting to join AACP PEP
- Institutional support and protected time
- A plan to “pay forward” what they learn
- A commitment to attend all AACR PEP in-person and virtual sessions