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The 2022-2023 recipients of the Victoria’s Secret Global Fund for Women’s Cancers Career Development Award, in Partnership with Pelotonia and AACR, were honored during the AACR Annual Meeting 2023.For 30 years, the AACR Grants Program has advanced the frontiers of cancer science by investing in promising basic, translational, and clinical researchers at all career levels. Through the generous support of its partners—including nonprofit organizations, foundations, and pharmaceutical companies—the AACR has distributed more than 1,000 grants totaling nearly $530 million since 1993 to foster innovative cancer research and accelerate progress toward improved patient outcomes.
The AACR’s grant portfolio expanded significantly in 2023 with a host of new supporters and new funding mechanisms:
In 2023, Stand Up To Cancer (SU2C) marked its 15th year of accelerating the delivery of new therapies to cancer patients by supporting collaboration and innovation in translational cancer research. The AACR has proudly served as SU2C’s Scientific Partner throughout those 15 years, providing expert peer review, scientific oversight, policy guidance, communications, and grants administration to ensure that SU2C’s groundbreaking funding models deliver outstanding results.
In November, the AACR and the Entertainment Industry Foundation signed an agreement to formally extend the AACR’s relationship with SU2C. The AACR will continue to serve as the Scientific Partner for SU2C, and in that role the AACR will have exclusive responsibility for administering the SU2C Grants Program.
On August 19, with the support of the AACR, SU2C produced its eighth biennial telecast featuring entertainers from the worlds of film, television, and music. The broadcast—which showcased the remarkable progress made by SU2C–funded scientists and moving stories of patients who have benefited from that progress—raised more than $60 million in pledges to support SU2C’s innovative research programs.
Collaboration and accountability are critical elements of the SU2C funding model. By bringing together stakeholders on a regular basis, SU2C and the AACR monitor the progress of funded research projects and foster connections that can lead to new discoveries. In January, the SU2C community convened its first in-person Scientific Summit since the pandemic. Grantees, leaders, Scientific Advisors, and donors gathered in San Diego to share data, celebrate successes, and explore new opportunities to work together to benefit patients with cancer.
