Contacts: Sarah Goodwin Kathi Ovnic Holly Korschun

June 15, 1999

AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY AWARDS EMORY CANCER INSTITUTE RESEARCH GRANT Cancer research at Emory got a boost with an institutional grant from the American Cancer Society (ACS). The ACS awarded Emory's Winship Cancer Institute a $120,000 Institutional Research Grant which will be used to jumpstart cancer research projects by young researchers. The grant will fund research for the next two years, then will be eligible for renewal based on the success of the researchers who receive grant funding. The Institutional Research Grant, or IRG, is intended to provide start-up funding for junior faculty in the area of cancer research. The long range intent of the grant is to promote new research within the Cancer Institute and nationwide by helping young researchers start their research projects and reach a level where they can apply for funding from other agencies. Junior faculty who have not received prior NIH-level funding are eligible to apply. Faculty are invited to submit applications twice per year, with funding decisions made by the Cancer Institute's seed grant review committee. Applications are evaluated on the basis of scientific merit, cancer relevance, and likelihood of success in obtaining future funding from other sources. IRG funds cannot be used for any other purpose. Previous recipients of Cancer Society IRG seed grant funds at Emory demonstrated a greater than 50 percent success rate in obtaining NIH level extramural funding after using the ACS awards to gather preliminary data. The Winship Cancer Institute is the focus of cancer research, treatment and education at Emory University. The Cancer Institute coordinates and integrates the University's cancer and cancer-related activities and brings together those Emory researchers and clinicians whose primary interest is cancer. A gift from Atlanta philanthropist Robert W. Woodruff established a cancer clinic at Emory in 1937, which was the beginning of the Cancer Institute. Even in its early stages it was devoted entirely to an interdisciplinary approach to cancer care. Named for Woodruff's maternal grandfather, Robert Winship, the Institute's mission is trifold: education, research and patient care. For more general information on The Robert W. Woodruff Health Sciences Center, call Health Sciences Communication's Office at 404-727-5686, or send e-mail to hsnews@emory.edu Copyright ©Emory University, 1999. All Rights Reserved.