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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

Applicants will be asked to submit:

  • The title, body and control number of the abstract submitted to the AACR Annual Meeting via the online abstract submission process.
  • A CV (including a list of publications).
  • A personal statement that describes that describes their research areas and interests, reasons for attending this conference, and long-term career aspirations.

*Please note that Scholar-in-Training Awards are not available for late-breaking abstracts.

Application deadlines

Applications open: September 28, 2026.
Applications deadline: November 10, 2026.
Applicants must apply for membership one month prior to the November 10 application deadline.

Applicants must apply through myAACR; the application will be listed under the “Applications/Awards” tab.

Please note that the Scholar-in-Training application requires the abstract control number created when applicants initiate an online abstract submission for the AACR Annual Meeting. Please have this number available when you begin your application. 

To be considered for the award, all sections of the application must be completed and submitted by the deadline. 

Eligibility

  • Applicants must be the first author and presenter of an abstract submitted for presentation at the Annual Meeting.
  • Applicants must be an Associate Member of the AACR in good standing (membership current through 2026). Nonmember graduate students, medical students and residents, clinical fellows or equivalent, and postdoctoral fellows who wish to apply for a Scholar-in-Training Award should submit a Membership Application Form one month prior to the application in order to obtain membership in time to submit a Scholar-in-Training Award  application.
  • Applicants cannot be employees or subcontractors of for-profit private industries.
  • Applicants may apply for other travel awards but may only accept one award from the AACR to attend the Annual Meeting.
  • We encourage applications from all areas of cancer research. Scholar-in-Training Awards funded by certain supporters are restricted to certain types of cancer research.
  • Previous Annual Meeting’s Scholar-in-Training Award supporters are listed at the bottom of this page.

SELECTION OF AWARD RECIPIENTS

  • Recipients of this merit-based award will be selected based on the quality of their personal statement; CV; their overall eligibility, accomplishments and importance of this award in benefiting their career. 
  • Award recipients will be notified by email in early March 2027.

Conditions and logistics

  • 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 5, 2027, 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. 
  • Awardees will not be reimbursed for expenses beyond what they receive in their award checks or wire transfers.

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.
  • 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, 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.
View the 2026 Scholar-in-Training Recipients

2026 supporters

The AACR gratefully acknowledges the supporters who enabled us to provide 179 Scholar-in-Training Awards for the AACR Annual Meeting 2026. 

  • Agilent Technologies 
  • 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 
  • Chris “CJ” Johnson Foundation 
  • Chromophobe and Oncocytic Tumor Alliance 
  • Davidson-Kensler Family Foundation 
  • Debbie’s Dream Foundation 
  • Doreen J. Putrah Cancer Research Foundation 
  • The Estate of June L. Biedler 
  • Family of Dan Y. Zhang 
  • Glenn Sykes 
  • James V. Buzzitta, MD Family Fund 
  • Jim and Mitzie Wittliff  
  • Joey’s Wings 
  • Judy Nicholson Kidney Cancer Foundation 
  • KidneyCAN 
  • Kidney Cancer Association  
  • Lorraine and Joseph Tumolo 
  • The Margaret Foti Foundation  
  • Pezcoller Foundation 
  • Prostate Cancer Foundation 
  • Rachel Ringer 
  • Sanofi 
  • Silken Twine Charity 
  • Stan Divorski and Nancy Staisey  
  • Dr. Tony and Mrs. Carrie Cheung 
  • Tonya and Maurice Hallett  
  • Triple Negative Breast Cancer Foundation  
  • VHL Alliance 

Inquiries

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