Early Career Mentorship Subcommittee

Purpose

NRG is committed to the inclusion of early career investigators in the protocol development process. The Early Career Mentorship (ECM) Subcommittee conducts an educational session introducing investigators to NRG clinical trials processes and to opportunities for engagement in the cancer disease site and other committees. Invited speakers include successful NRG investigators who have worked through the processes of integrating translational research, including imaging and biospecimen analyses, into NRG trials and/or who have explored innovative questions to inform new trial through use of clinical trial data, biospecimens, imaging, and/or radiation oncology delivery data. The goals of this extended educational session are to provide new investigators with basic knowledge of protocol design and development in NRG Oncology with a focus on protocol development, statistical considerations, ancillary projects, and translational research.

Part of our mission is to build a sustainable, long-term research enterprise to continue to progress cancer research. Inherent in this objective is to foster the development of the next generation of investigators and to allow them opportunities to build as clinical investigators. For this purpose, the ECM Subcommittee launched the Early Career Investigator Mentored Fellowship Program in 2023. The program provides a formal, mentored fellowship under the Early Career Investigator Liaisons with the aim of supporting fellows in initiating projects within NRG, building skills as investigators, and develop an understanding of clinical trial design process at NRG. The program description can be found in the resources section below.

The call for committee membership will occur annually, each Spring.

ECM Subcommittee Members (NRG early career investigators) meet at each NRG semiannual meeting. ECM Leadership and New Investigator Liaisons meet on the first Friday of each month.