 |
|
|
|||||||||
 |
||||||||||||||||||||
 |
research People with personal cancer experiences help determine funding for Society research The American Cancer Society is the largest source of non-federal funding for cancer research. As such, it receives about 1,600 grant applications each year from scientists who are trying to make significant differences in the cancer field. These applications are sifted through and judged by 18--20 Peer Review Committees to decide which of the numerous grant applications will receive funding. Each committee is comprised of 5--20 scientists and 2 volunteers, called stakeholders. Including stakeholders in the peer review process sets the American Cancer Society apart from any institution that provides funding for cancer research grants.  Stakeholders are people who have a personal interest in fighting cancer because they are a survivor, a caregiver, or a family member of someone who battled the disease. These volunteers do not need to have any medical background. The stakeholders' role is to add their own perspectives in the review process to represent the opinion of all people who have been personally touched by cancer. Through their participation, they also learn more about how the research process is working to control cancer.
The Peer Review Committees meet twice a year, once in January and once in June at the Society's National Home Office in Atlanta, Georgia, to review the grant applications. Elaine Duemler (shown right) of Hudsonville, Michigan, served as a stakeholder for roughly three years. Before each meeting, she would receive boxes containing 60--80 grant applications. "I didn't have to understand all the science of the proposal, but I did need to understand approximately what it was trying to do, whether or not I thought it was new science, new information about a particular cancer, how important we thought it was to society right then," she explains. She read each grant's abstract, which is a one page summary that explains the hypothesis of the study, what the researcher hopes to accomplish, how the findings will help the general population, and other important details. It usually took her about two weeks to prepare for committee meetings. Once in the meetings, scientists on the committee present the proposals of the grant applications. Then, the stakeholders and scientists assign each grant a number value. The grants that have the highest values move on to the Council of Extramural Grants, made up of leaders in the science community and stakeholders, for the final funding decision. Elaine's committee would send up to four grants to the council. "I would do it again in a heartbeat," she says of her time as a stakeholder. "It gives you respect for the research and what's going on for the people that are conducting it." Because of her experience, Elaine feels better educated about the research process, and takes every chance that she can to educate others. "I think I'm helping people," she says. If you would like to become a stakeholder, you can download an application by clicking here, or by contacting Lesley Dufner, epidemiologist, at Lesley.Dufner@cancer.org or 1-800-723-0360. Applications are accepted from September through November. Other articles in VOICES this month community focus: volunteers dispay teamwork and passion for new Relay events |
survivorship and patient services: young cancer survivors are invited to our fun-filled, annual summer camp |
survivorship and patient services: Relay For Life celebrates and supports survivors in your community |
education: all women over 40 need mammograms, a government funded program may help with cost |
advocacy: meet Sharon Simmons, a survivor joining the Society's efforts in Washington DC |
advocacy: sign the 2015 petition, make your voice heard in Washington DC |
local area spotlight: Society staff partner with health organizations |
resource highlight: sign up now for action alerts to monitor cancer issues |
 | |||||||||||
|
|