Date Posted
Division of Cancer Prevention New Grantees with Acting DCP Division Director Dr. Debbie Winn (first row center).
In November 2019, the NCI Division of Cancer Prevention (DCP) for the first time held a New Grantee Workshop in conjunction with the NCI Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences (DCCPS). The workshop brought together 89 new investigators in total, including 26 from DCP who received their first R01s in fiscal years 2018 and 2019. Through interactive sessions and networking activities, grantees learned strategies to successfully manage their grants; had opportunities to meet with their program directors and division leadership; and learned about tools, trends, and resources to support their research. Dr. Brandy Heckman-Stoddard, chief of the Breast and Gynecologic Cancer Research Group, DCP, co-chaired the workshop with Mark Alexander, MSC, Public Health Advisor, DCCPS.
The new grantees were welcomed on the first day by Dr. Robert Croyle, Director of DCCPS, and Dr. Debbie Winn, acting Director of DCP. Dr. Laura Siminoff from Temple University shared her thoughts on successfully managing an R01, as well as participating in a panel discussion with program and grants management staff. Three DCP Grantees had their work highlighted in an oral presentation. Dr. Victoria Bae-Jump from the University of North Carolina (UNC) discussed her work on metformin and endometrial cancer. Dr. Sarah Nyante, also from UNC, discussed her work on breast density as a biomarker, and Dr. Kathrin Milbury from the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center discussed her work on enhancing quality of life for glioma patients and their caregivers through yoga. Other presentations focused on NIH policy issues such as data sharing and rigor and reproducibility.
All workshop attendees participated on the second day in a poster session and a panel discussion with perspectives from Experienced Investigators, including Dr. Margie Clapper from Fox Chase Cancer Center, Dr. Seema Khan from the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University, and Dr. John Witte from the University of California, San Francisco. In addition, the Early Stage Investigators that received MERIT Awards had an opportunity to find out more about the extension process.
Feedback surveys showed the workshop was highly appreciated by the attendees. The presentations will be made available to those grantees who were unable to attend.