The American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) sent 15 early-career cancer scientists to Capitol Hill for their inaugural Early-career Hill Day. These scientists met with 36 congressional members and staff to discuss how early-career scientists have been disproportionately affected by stagnant funding from the National Institutes of Health and National Cancer Institute over the past decade, making it harder to obtain grants and remain in research careers. The AACR is working to support early-career investigators and help secure continued funding growth through initiatives like new grants for young researchers.

1. American Association for Cancer
Research Sends 15 Early-career
Scientists to Capitol Hill
For Immediate Release: Feb. 26, 2016
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PHILADELPHIA — Yesterday, 15 early-career cancer scientists from
across the United States converged on Capitol Hill to meet with 36
congressional members and their staff as part of the inaugural American
Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Early-career Hill Day. The 15
individuals who were selected to participate are part of a group of more
than 14,000 graduate students, medical students and residents, and
clinical and postdoctoral fellows that comprise the associate membership
of the AACR.
Early-career scientists have been disproportionately affected by the lack of
growth in the National Institutes of Health (NIH) budget from 2004 to 2015.
In fact, the chance of successfully receiving a research grant from the
National Cancer Institute (NCI) is less than 15 percent, and scientists
today, on average, do not receive their first independent research grant
until they are in their early 40s, as compared to their mid-to-late 30s in the
1990s. This is quite unfortunate, especially since early-career investigators
are the innovators of the future, bringing bring fresh ideas and
technologies to existing biomedical research problems, and pioneering
new areas of investigation. Therefore, entry of early-career investigators
into the ranks of independent, NIH-funded researchers is essential to the
health of this country’s biomedical research enterprise.
“The AACR is very concerned about the future of the cancer research
pipeline, and is most specifically focused on helping the early-career
cancer scientist through numerous programs and initiatives, such as our
recent launch of the AACR NextGen Grants for Transformative Cancer
Research, a new funding initiative to stimulate highly innovative research
from young investigators,” said Margaret Foti, PhD, MD (hc), chief

2. executive officer of the AACR. “The AACR Early-career Hill Day provided
an opportunity for associate members to explain to policy makers how
early-career scientists have been have been adversely affected by the
funding environment over the past decade. We think their messages are
powerful and underscore the importance of robust, sustained, and
predictable budget increases for the NIH and NCI.”
The $2 billion increase for the NIH that was included in the fiscal year (FY)
2016 omnibus bill demonstrated strong support for medical research
funding. The 15 associate members who participated in the meetings on
Capitol Hill looked to capitalize and build on that momentum by thanking
members of Congress for their support and by stressing that continued,
predictable growth in the NIH budget for FY 2017 and beyond is what is
required to fully reverse the effects of more than a decade of stagnant
funding.
“Many of my colleagues are choosing non-research careers because of
inadequate and unpredictable funding for biomedical research,” said
Shane R. Stecklein, MD, PhD, Hill Day participant, AMC member, and
resident, Department of Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas MD
Anderson Cancer Center. “These are the next generation of cancer
researchers, and if we lose them, we lose progress in the fight against
cancer. It was an honor to represent AACR’s early-career investigators on
Capitol Hill to share this message with our legislators.”
Young investigators participate in the AACR's Early-career Hill Day in
Washington, D.C.
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