News — PLYMOUTH MEETING, PA [July 24, 2024] — The National Comprehensive Cancer Network® (NCCN®)—an alliance of leading cancer centers—commemorates the 25th anniversary of the NCCN Oncology Research Program (). The NCCN ORP is dedicated to seeking innovative, effective, and equitable cancer care through oversight and funding for cancer research and quality improvement projects. Over the past quarter-century, the NCCN ORP has managed a diverse portfolio of more than 180 research studies and quality improvement projects to improve quality and outcomes for people with cancer. The NCCN ORP has also provided project oversight to 75 NCCN Foundation® Young Investigator Award recipients since the program was founded in 2011. Over the past nine years, the ORP has also coordinated the scientific poster session at NCCN’s Annual Conference. These grants and poster presentations have contributed significant new knowledge to advance cancer care and helped to cultivate emerging leadership in the field of oncology.
“The NCCN ORP has a long history of facilitating the development of new insights into cancer care,” said Crystal S. Denlinger, MD, Chief Executive Officer, NCCN. Dr. Denlinger was named an NCCN Foundation recipient early in her own career, before going on to be named first Chief Scientific Officer for NCCN in 2021, and subsequently CEO in 2023. “Through various grant funding mechanisms, the ORP supports current and future leaders in cancer research establish firm foundations for ongoing and future professional development. ORP-funded investigators have presented and published their data in many prestigious conferences and journals and continue to grow their academic careers after funding. We’re proud that this commitment to knowledge dissemination has resulted in more than 150 and 120 .”
The NCCN ORP was first established in 1999 to develop a grant model to facilitate efficient clinical trial support for investigator-initiated research across NCCN’s Member Institutions. The first Request for Proposals (RFP) went out in 2002. Since then, the NCCN ORP has shared 45 RFPs, and has expanded its research portfolio to also include multiple quality improvement projects. It has supported research at nearly all of NCCN’s and participated in wide-ranging collaborations with a multitude of funders.
The NCCN ORP also provides support for cancer research through the NCCN Shared Resources website, Informed Consent Language Database, and Best Practices for Biorepositories, Registries, and Databases.
In 2015, the NCCN ORP began overseeing the poster sessions as part of the NCCN Annual Conference. Poster submissions come from a diverse group of investigators, with approximately 200 accepted in 2024 across a wide range of categories including clinical and preclinical research, quality improvement and best practices, and health outcomes, prevention, and disparities. Since 2020, selected oral poster presentations have been featured in the program agenda as well.
The Call for Abstracts for the NCCN 2025 Annual Conference is currently open. Visit to learn more and apply. Learn more about ORP at .
The milestones will continue into the new year, as NCCN commemorates the 30th anniversary of its founding, starting in January of 2025. Learn more about key events in NCCN’s history and join the celebration of progress against cancer at .
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About the National Comprehensive Cancer Network
The National Comprehensive Cancer Network® (NCCN®) is a not-for-profit alliance of devoted to patient care, research, and education. NCCN is dedicated to improving and facilitating quality, effective, equitable, and accessible cancer care so all patients can live better lives. The NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology (NCCN Guidelines®) provide transparent, evidence-based, expert consensus recommendations for cancer treatment, prevention, and supportive services; they are the recognized standard for clinical direction and policy in cancer management and the most thorough and frequently-updated clinical practice guidelines available in any area of medicine. The NCCN Guidelines for Patients® provide expert cancer treatment information to inform and empower patients and caregivers, through support from the ®. NCCN also advances continuing education, global initiatives, policy, and research collaboration and publication in oncology. Visit for more information.
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