Call for Submissions: AACR June L. Biedler Prize for Cancer Journalism

Awardees will receive $5,000 unrestricted cash prize

PHILADELPHIA — The American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) is inviting journalists to submit their stories for the 2023 AACR June L. Biedler Prize for Cancer Journalism. These prestigious prizes serve to recognize professional journalists who have produced accurate, informative, and compelling stories that enhance the public’s understanding of cancer, cancer research, cancer advocacy, or cancer policy, including stories about the intersection of COVID-19 and cancer. Each award is accompanied by a $5,000 unrestricted cash prize.

The AACR June L. Biedler Prize for Cancer Journalism is open to print, broadcast, and online professional journalists whose stories appear in media that target a lay public audience. Prizes are considered for six submission categories: auditory journalism (radio/podcasts); large newspaper (circulation over 100,000); magazine; online/multimedia; small newspaper (circulation under 100,000); and television.

Due to numerous challenges resulting from the ongoing pandemic, the AACR made the difficult decision not to award the AACR June L. Biedler Prize for Cancer Journalism in 2021 or 2022. The next AACR June L. Biedler Prize for Cancer Journalism presentation ceremony will take place during the AACR Annual Meeting 2023 in Orlando, April 14-19. For these prizes, the judging panel will consider past submissions from 2021 and 2022 in addition to all new submissions from the current cycle. Given the extended eligibility time frame, more than one prize recipient may be selected in each category. All new submissions must have been published or broadcast for the first time between January 1, 2020, and November 30, 2022. The deadline for submission is Wednesday, December 7, 2022.

This year’s judging panel, chaired by Clifton Leaf, author, journalist, and former editor-in-chief, FORTUNE, and vice chaired by Ron Winslow, former senior medical correspondent and editor, The Wall Street Journal, includes esteemed journalists, communications professors, cancer researchers, and patient advocates. Past panels have included media professionals who have worked for NBC News, The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Houston Chronicle, PBS, and ABC News. The prize is funded by a major bequest to the AACR from June L. Biedler, PhD, a scientist, mentor, pioneer in cancer research, and former member of the AACR Board of Directors. For more information or to submit a story to be considered for this year’s prizes, visit the AACR website or email Michael J. Powell, PhD, Director of Scientific Programs and Strategic Initiatives and staff liaison to the AACR June L. Biedler Prize for Cancer Journalism at [email protected] or by phone at (215) 440-9373.