AMC Elections

Application Process

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Each applicant completes the online Application for Candidacy, which includes the submission of one’s most recent CV (an NIH biographical sketch will not be accepted) and a letter of recommendation from his/her primary mentor. Please note, a letter of nomination will additionally be required/accepted only if the primary mentor is not currently an AACR Active or Emeritus Member in good standing). All application and supplemental materials must be submitted via the online application form in PDF format.

Once the application period ends, members of the current council will conduct a thorough and intensive review of all eligible applications. Three new members of the council will be announced to begin their service term at the next AACR Annual Meeting in 2024. All applicants are notified of the status of their application, regardless of the decision.

Term of Office

Each member serves a three-year term of office that commences at the AACR Annual Meeting. Those elected in the 2024-2027 cycle will begin their service at the AACR Annual Meeting 2023 and conclude their service at the AACR Annual Meeting 2027.

Duties of the AMC

Each year, three Associate Members are selected to serve three-year terms on the Associate Member Council (AMC). The AMC represents over 30,000 AACR graduate students, medical students and residents, and clinical and postdoctoral fellows and provides a voice for early-career researchers to the AACR, serving in an advisory capacity. The AMC additionally helps develop initiatives and services to address the needs of early-career investigators in cancer research, provides a venue for collegial discussion about the challenges of a career in cancer research, helps provide recommendations on how to sustain this important workforce, and works with the AACR to recruit/retain/engage early-career researchers in the membership. People have joined the council to broaden their insights and network in the cancer research field, increase their likelihood and potential for future collaborations, learn more about the AACR, represent the membership, and help organize events to promote career development for early-career investigators.

To fulfill their service responsibilities, members of the AMC:

• Represent the interests and needs of early-career scientists to the AACR;
• Collaborate as needed with other entities within the AACR;
• Develop initiatives and services for early-career scientists, including programming, activities and events both at the AACR Annual Meeting and year-round;
• Facilitate communication among early-career scientists through peer-to-peer networking, mentorship, and collaboration with senior AACR members;
• Actively encourage and assist in the recruitment, retention and engagement of Associate members within AACR; and,
• Assist in the promotion of the AACR and its programs, among other projects.

In recognition of the extraordinary time commitments of early-career researchers, obligations related to AMC service are kept as manageable as possible. Throughout each year of service, council members participate in planning meetings, conference calls, receptions, and other events as official representatives of the AMC and the AACR. AMC members are expected to participate in monthly conference calls, attend all Annual Meetings during their term, attend an annual face-to-face planning meeting mid-year in Philadelphia, and periodically contribute to written materials.

Overall, potential applicants should be aware that serving on the AMC requires year-round contributions and regular participation in activities. Again, on average, the AACR strives to keep the workload and time commitment for each AMC member fairly manageable.

reflections from AMC Members about serving on the council:

• “I applied to be part of the AMC for several reasons: to gain leadership experience, build my professional network and create career development opportunities for fellow Associate members. I have grown in all these ways, and, most importantly, I have been fortunate enough to gain new lifelong friends. Joining the AMC was a great choice, and I highly recommend it for anyone in cancer research who would like the opportunity to become a leader in the field.”
• “Being part of the AACR AMC has been a fantastic experience! I have loved being a part of this enthusiastic group to come up with new ideas and opportunities for early-career researchers. It has also been wonderful working with AACR and learning about such a robust organization.”
• “I have had the opportunity to actively contribute to the AACR mission, and to gain invaluable experience and additional skillsets that are broadening my insights and network in the cancer research field, as well as adding to my knowledge of science policy and outreach. I am fortunate to share this experience with an incredibly talented and diverse group of council members: we come from different scientific and personal backgrounds and are at different stages of our careers, but we share a common goal to improve membership representation and career development opportunities for ECRs.”
• “Being part of the AMC has allowed me to play a role in shaping initiatives and programming for Associate Members at the AACR Annual Meeting. Along with the Council, we have worked to establish and strengthen many new career development opportunities for early-career researchers. It has also provided me with an insight into how the AACR international organization works day-to-day.”

Contact Information

Email: [email protected]