Conquer Cancer, the ASCO Foundation, supports the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) by funding groundbreaking research and education across cancer’s full continuum. As an ASCO Regional Affiliate, NNECOS is proud to have provided financial support to a variety of Conquer Cancer’s educational initiatives for more than 15 years, including a longstanding commitment to the Young Investigator Award (YIA) Program. Each year at the annual retreat, the NNECOS Board of Directors determines which of Conquer Cancer’s research and educational initiatives the society will support in the year ahead.  Recent designations include:

• 2024 Scientific and Career Development Retreat and the 2024 State Affiliate Council Endowed Merit Award
• 2023 - State Affiliate Council-OSI/MSR fund and 2 AMRA - designated for ME, NH, VT
• 2022 State Affiliate Council Young Investigator Award and Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives
• 2021 - Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion initiative. We join our colleagues in calling on the oncology community to confront and address complex forces and systems that have created and perpetuated disparities in cancer care, treatment, and research. We are committed in helping ASCO and Conquer Cancer expedite efforts to increase funding for cancer research for underserved patients and by underrepresented researchers and expand oncology talent programs to create a more diverse oncology workforce.
• 2020 - Partial funding for Xingzhe Dillon Li, MD, MPH’s Young Investigator Award, supporting his study, “Probing dynamic changes in DNA damage and innate immune responses of normal tissue and the tumor microenvironment following proton FLASH radiation.” 
• 2019 - International Development and Education Award (IDEA), presented to Marcella Marinelli Salvadori, MD, of Clinica AMO-Assistencia Multidisciplinar em Oncologica, Brazil and Merit Awards
• 2018 - Young Investigator Award and Annual Meeting Challenge Match
• 2017 - Young Investigator Award
• 2016 - Young Investigator Award
• 2015 - Young Investigator Award
• 2014 - Young Investigator Award
• 2013 - Young Investigator Award
• 2012 - Young Investigator Award
• 2011 -  Young Investigator Award and Career Development Award 
• 2010 - Young Investigator Award and Career Development Award 
• 2009 - Young Investigator Award and Career Development Award 

Learn more about these and other Conquer Cancer programs NNECOS has supported:

Equity, Diversity & Inclusion Initiatives

ASCO’s Diversity in Oncology Initiative is designed to facilitate the recruitment and retention of individuals who are underrepresented in medicine to cancer careers.

Young Investigator Award

The Young Investigator Award (YIA) provides funding to promising investigators to encourage and promote quality research in clinical oncology.

International Development & Education Award

ASCO’s oldest international program, International Development and Education Award (IDEA), pairs a mentee oncologist from a low and middle income country with a mentor from a high-income country to help support and expand the mentee’s learning and professional development.

Merit Awards

Merit Awards are bestowed to fellows/oncology trainees whose research is addressed in high-quality abstracts submitted to an ASCO Meeting and recognized for its scientific merit.

Career Development Award

The Career Development Award (CDA) provides research funding to clinical investigators, who have received their initial faculty appointment, as they work to establish an independent clinical cancer research program.

A Historical Look at 2020 Awards

NNECOS is proud to have supported the 2020 Young Investigators and Merit Awards.