Membership Application and Review
Membership in the Cancer Institute is open to all faculty. The application process begins with completion of the online membership application. Applications undergo review by research program co-leaders, an administrative committee and the Cancer Institute Executive Director.
Following review, the applicant will receive notice of membership via email if membership is deemed appropriate. Annual review of Cancer Institute members by Cancer Institute senior leadership may result in a change in status. The Cancer Institute Executive Director has final authority on approval, disapproval or termination of membership. All questions regarding membership should be directed to Cancer Institute Membership Director, Lee Smith at hsmith@uams.edu.
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The Significance of Membership
The mission of the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute is to translate today’s discoveries into tomorrow’s strategies to effectively reduce cancer throughout its continuum from disease prevention, initiation, and detection, to its progression and treatment. The Cancer Institute relies on the research capacity and intellectual capital of its researchers and investigators, its clinicians, staff and community partners to facilitate a culture of innovation dedicated to reducing cancer morbidity and mortality.
The Cancer Institute provides:
- An environment to stimulate, support and facilitate multi- and transdisciplinary collaborations among academic researchers, clinicians and community stakeholders that synergize cancer investigation with a single focus to lessen cancer’s negative impact.
- Excellence in translating discoveries made in the laboratory, the clinic and the community into new applications that enhance cancer prevention, diagnosis, care and survivorship.
- A high caliber technology infrastructure for research and patient care.
- A sustainable resource for clinical care and patient access to effective, advanced, and novel therapies.
- A conduit to address cancer health disparities in the context of prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and survivorship.
Membership Benefits
- Eligible to apply for targeted funding, developmental funds, and interim research support as available or offered by the Cancer Institute
- Eligible to apply for Cancer Institute-supported start-up packages, bridge funding, and pilot funding programs
- Eligible to apply for Cancer Institute shared resource vouchers
- Eligible to serve on Cancer Institute committees
- Eligible to serve in a Cancer Institute leadership position
- Eligible to be featured on www.cancer.uams.edu
- Access to Cancer Institute meeting facilities
- Access to support for hosting cancer research seminar speakers
- Access to Cancer Institute social events
- Access to members only Cancer Institute educational events such as the annual Cancer Institute Research Retreat
- Access to the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute Junior Faculty Mentoring Program
- Regular notification of cancer research funding opportunities
- Ability to generate publication reports through the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute Research Hub Publication Module
Membership Categories
Membership in the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute is available through application to any UAMS or University of Arkansas at Fayetteville faculty member or fellow who is engaged in cancer research or is actively pursuing cancer-related research projects. Areas of cancer research include basic, translational and clinical research, pharmaceutical sciences, population sciences, behavior and psychosocial science, implementation science, community outreach and engagement and community based participatory research. Membership in the Cancer Institute is a structure required by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) for NCI designated cancer centers. All members must agree to the mission and objectives set forth above in the Significance of Membership.
The Cancer Institute offers three categories of membership:
Full Member
- Engages in independent cancer-related research with scientific productivity;
- Has published a cancer-related article in a peer-reviewed journal within the past two calendar years;
AND at least one of the following:
- Conducts cancer research as a Principal Investigator (PI) or Co-investigator (Co-I) of a current or recent (within the last two calendar years) cancer research grant funded by the NCI, NIH or one of NCI’s approved peer-review funding organizations;
- Conducts cancer research as a PI of a cancer-related subproject on a multi-component peer-reviewed grant (eg. SPORE, P01, P20);
- Conducts cancer research as PI on a subaward of a cancer research grant funded by the NCI, NIH or one of NCI’s approved peer-review funding organizations passing through another institution;
- or;
- Is an individual of strategic importance to the research mission of the Cancer Institute as determined by a research program leader and the Cancer Institute Director;
- Is within three years of having received support from the Cancer Institute as part of a recruitment or retention package.
Associate Member
- Demonstrates an interest in cancer research through previous cancer-related research grant funding or publications;
AND at least one of the following:
- Is actively applying for funding to support cancer related research;
- Conducts cancer research as a PI or Co-I of a current or recent (within the last two years) cancer research grant funded by a non-peer-reviewed funding organization;
- Conducts cancer-related research as a PI, Co-I or sub-I of an IRB-approved clinical trial;
- Conducts cancer-related research as a PI or Co-I of an IACUC-approved study;
- Is an individual of strategic importance to the research mission of the Cancer Institute as determined by a research program leader and the Cancer Institute Director;
- Individuals without a history of cancer-related research who are currently pursuing funding for a cancer-related project may be approved for associate membership at the discretion of Cancer Institute leadership.
Affiliate Member
- Demonstrates an interest in cancer research through previous cancer-related research, publications or grant funding;
AND
- Is a graduate student, postdoctoral fellow or clinical fellow conducting cancer research
- Individuals without a history of cancer-related research who are currently pursuing funding for a cancer-related project may be approved for affiliate membership at the discretion of Cancer Institute leadership.
Membership Responsibilities
Members of the Cancer Institute are expected to do the following:
- Support the Cancer Institute’s mission, goals and priorities.
- Clearly and consistently demonstrate collaboration and interaction with other Cancer Institute investigators as evidenced by:
- Attending at least 50% of the member’s research program meetings annually
- Sharing research, discussing research activity and providing feedback to colleagues in research program meetings
- Participating in other Cancer Institute activities and programs
- Maintain or work with Cancer Institute administration to maintain current publication data in the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute Research Hub Publication Module
- Serve on research committees, including, but not limited to, the Cancer Institute Protocol Review and Monitoring Committee (PRMC), the UAMS Institutional Review Board (IRB), the UAMS Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC), Cancer Institute Mentoring committees, Cancer Institute grant review committees and Cancer Institute recruitment committees
- Attend Disease Oriented Committees (DOCs) (if engaged in clinical research)
- Utilize the Cancer Clinical Trials and Regulatory Affairs (CCTRA) office for all cancer clinical trials workflow and regulatory approvals
Membership Application and Review
Membership in the Cancer Institute is open to all UAMS and University of Arkansas at Fayetteville faculty and fellows. The application process begins with completion of the online membership application. Applications undergo review by research program co-leaders, the Cancer Institute Membership Committee and the Cancer Institute Director. Following review, the applicant will receive notice of membership status via email. Annual review of Cancer Institute members by Cancer Institute senior leadership may result in a change in membership category or status. The Cancer Institute Director has final authority on approval, disapproval, or termination of membership. All questions regarding membership should be directed to Cancer Institute Membership Director, Lee Smith at hsmith@uams.edu.