The new stakeholders program of the American Cancer Society ensures that every research proposal submitted to the Society will be reviewed, not only by scientists, but also by a volunteer who has a serious interest in cancer research though little or no formal scientific training.

Stakeholders are selected from the public (nominated by regional Society offices) across the country then trained and assigned to one or more of the 17 Peer Review Committees in the Extramural Grants Division charged with reviewing grant applications. In addition to the stakeholders, the committees are each comprised of about five to 25 scientists and physicians considered experts in their respective fields.

"Stakeholders bring an invaluable perspective to deciding how best to allocate the $100 million a year the Society earmarks for cancer research," says John Stevens, MD, vice president of extramural grants for the Society.

"The grant review process is a difficult one since we can fund only about one in every five research grant applications submitted. The addition of cancer survivors, family members of cancer patients, ACS volunteers and other nonscientists brings passion to this process."

The first nationwide group of 28 stakeholders has just completed its initial round of committee work. Grants accepted during this session will be announced at the end of April. According to David Ringer, PhD, MPH, the scientific program director heading up the stakeholders initiative, the comments from both stakeholders and scientists about the new program have been strongly positive.

"Overall, this initial effort has demonstrated that stakeholders and scientists make a strong collaborative team in the peer review process," Dr. Ringer said. "Scientist committee members find the process of peer review elevated by the cancer relevance questions and discussions stakeholders bring to the committee table -- and stakeholders feel the expertise and care with which scientist committee members evaluate grant applications ensures the funding of only the best cancer research and the training of top scientists and health care professionals."

During 1999, the Society awarded 375 extramural research grants, many to young investigators at the beginning of their careers who might otherwise have not been funded. Since the research program began in 1946, the Society has spent more than $2.2 billion on research and has helped support the research of 30 Nobel Prize winners, a record of cancer research achievement unparalleled in the private sector.

The American Cancer Society is the nationwide, community-based, voluntary health organization dedicated to eliminating cancer as a major health problem by preventing cancer, saving lives and diminishing suffering from cancer, through research, education, advocacy and service.

For information about cancer, call toll-free anytime 1-800-ACS-2345 or visit the American Cancer Society website at www.cancer.org.



Joann Schellenbach

American Cancer Society
212-382-2169
jschelle@cancer.org