Scientific Challenges

In 2025, ASTRO and AstraZeneca are collaborating on the ASTRO-AstraZeneca SCLC Therapy Challenge, which focuses on advancing the treatment of limited-stage small cell lung cancer (SCLC) through multimodal combination therapies. This Challenge offers between $175,000 and $375,000 in funding for each selected project grant, with a total award pool of at least $750,000. View more information about this Challenge, including details on how to apply.

For more details, please register for our upcoming SCLC Therapy Challenge Kick-Off Webinar, led by Percy Lee, MD, FASTRO, on January 31, 2025, from 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. Eastern time.

Background

Collaborations across the biomedical research ecosystem are essential for advancing cancer care. The 2017 ASTRO Strategic Plan emphasized the need to elevate the field of radiation oncology, encourage the retention and development of emerging research talent, and strengthen its role in the evolution of cancer care. ASTRO recognizes that key innovations in cancer medicine are often driven by partnerships between basic and clinical researchers, as well as industry. The ASTRO-AstraZeneca SCLC Therapy Challenge exemplifies ASTRO's commitment to fostering these collaborations and supporting radiation oncology researchers as principal investigators (PIs) in industry-sponsored studies.

Scope

The ASTRO Advancing Medicine Together Scientific Challenges (“Challenges”) program aims to introduce and catalyze new collaborative research opportunities for the ASTRO membership, and to facilitate radiation oncology leadership in scientific discovery and engagement with industry partners.

Description

1. Potential Partner and ASTRO discuss the alignment with ASTRO’s strategic goals/priorities and feasibility to design a new ASTRO-Partner Challenge. Partnership agreements will define the scope and implementation plan for a specific Challenge. ASTRO staff would seek Science Council Steering Committee’s guidance and consensus before ASTRO and potential Partner enter into any formal agreement. For any specific Challenge, a Partner must commit to supporting at least one of the three best-scored researchers of the specific Challenge, as ranked and recommended by the specific Challenge’s Judging Panel (outlined in section 2 below). ASTRO and Partner would then collaborate to design and finalize the Challenge Program Announcement (PA).
2. ASTRO would manage Challenge advertising, application submission and review processes, judging and recognition. ASTRO would:
   • Publish and advertise the PA to the community of experts and researchers and develop FAQs for the PA and answer questions from potential entrants.
   • Assemble an independent Judging Panel (“Panel” hereafter) with needed expertise relative to the scope of the Challenge. Partner may send up to three non-scoring observers to the Panel discussions to observe and share perspectives and insights they may have about the scope of the specific Challenge.
   • Coordinate with Panel to facilitate review and fair/open competitions for submissions.
   • Organize Panel’s scoring and recommendation for Challenge winners.
   • Announce and celebrate Challenge winners in ASTRO’s media channels.
3. Partner would provide resources to collaborate with Challenge winner(s).

Win/Win Model

Value to ASTRO Members:

• Provides opportunities to forge new collaborations
• Increases funding opportunities for radiation oncology researchers
• Enhances visibility, opportunities to demonstrate scientific research capabilities and excellence

Value to Partners:

• Identifies best scientific research solutions and/or proposals through a fair and open competition organized by a premier medical specialty society
• Accesses the brainpower of leading radiation oncology experts and researchers
• Has potential to broaden the scientific base of a specific field of research, such as increasing studies that explore new indications or combinations