Celebrating 30 Years of Mentorship That Makes a Difference

The Conquer Cancer Foundation (CCF) Grants and Awards Program has been instrumental in helping launch the careers of hundreds of aspiring cancer researchers around the world over the past 30 years. Since the first grant provided in 1984, Conquer Cancer Foundation–funded scientists have become some of the most widely recognized and respected names in the field of cancer research today. This is in large part due to the program’s emphasis on mentoring and career development.

The importance of mentorship for a young investigator cannot be overstated. It is a sentiment expressed time and time again by Conquer Cancer Foundation grantees, many of whom advance in their careers to the point where they are able to mentor other grantees. Such is the case with 1992 Young Investigator Award recipient Elizabeth Jaffee, MD, Professor of Oncology, and 2000 Young Investigator Award recipient Daniel Laheru, MD, Associate Professor of Oncology, both at Johns Hopkins University. 

“Dr. Jaffee was the perfect mentor for me because she understood how important the Young Investigator Award was for my current training and also for my future development at Johns Hopkins University. She is very interested in the success of others, and to me that is the definition of a true mentor,” said Dr. Laheru. “In addition to me, there have been other trainees in her lab who have gone on to receive Young Investigator Awards or Career Development Awards, and I think that is a reflection of the time she has taken to really help the trainees understand how to put together a grant proposal.”

Funding Opportunities

Twenty-six percent of Career Development Award mentors and 19% of Young Investigator Award mentors for awards granted from 2008 to 2013 are past Conquer Cancer Foundation grantees, and one-third of the mentors for the 2013 Young Investigator Award class alone are past recipients of Conquer Cancer Foundation grants.

In addition to the Career Development Award and Young Investigator Award programs, the Foundation also offers many other funding opportunities that place a strong emphasis on mentoring. Learn more about these programs and make a donation to help support the next generation of cancer researchers at ConquerCancerFoundation.org. ■