Exclusive Opportunity to Engage with AACR Research Grant Reviewers at the AACR Annual Meeting 2025
Looking for some expert tips about research grant writing or inside information on the process of a research grant reviewer? If so, please join the Meet the Research Grant Reviewers Session held during the AACR Annual Meeting 2025 on Monday, April 28, 2025, from 2:30-3:30 p.m. CT. This session will provide a platform for attendees to ask AACR research grant reviewers any questions about the grant review process. Speakers include James M. Cleary, MD, PhD, and Sandra W. Ryeom, PhD. Below, learn more about these speakers and what attendees can hope to gain from this interactive session.
Dr. Cleary is a medical oncologist and director of clinical research in the Division of Gastrointestinal Oncology at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. He is also an associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School. Dr. Cleary specializes in treating patients with gastrointestinal cancers, and his research focuses on clinical trials for the identification and development of novel therapeutics for gastrointestinal malignancies. Dr. Cleary shared that “it is a tremendous privilege being an AACR scientific review committee member. I always gain invaluable insights from the grants I review and from interactions with my fellow committee members.”
Dr. Cleary expressed his appreciation for the lively scientific discussions during the AACR grant review process, as he shared that “one of the best aspects of being on an AACR scientific review committee is the opportunity to learn from my colleagues. Hearing their thoughts and perspectives provide invaluable insights into some of the most pressing research questions of the day.” Through Meet the Research Grant Reviewers, Dr. Cleary hopes that attendees will gain valuable perspectives into the grant review process. “Writing grants can be time-consuming and, at times, frustrating, so I hope that attendees will hear how different reviewers approach grants to help demystify the review process,” Dr. Cleary shared. “Grant review is a very human process, and I want to encourage investigators writing grants not to be discouraged.”
Dr. Ryeom is an associate professor in the Department of Surgery and associate dean for postdoctoral affairs and new master’s degree programs at the Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons. Dr. Ryeom is a cancer biologist whose laboratory studies mechanisms of initiation, progression, and metastatic dissemination of gastroesophageal cancer. Her laboratory also studies the role of endothelial cells and fibroblasts in the tumor microenvironment. Having served as both a committee member and chairperson, Dr. Ryeom commented that “the AACR research grant review process is like other review committees that I have served on, with rigorous and lively discussions about grants and a genuine effort to see every proposal in the best light.”
Compared to other review panels, Dr. Ryeom noted that there is less administrative burden on the reviewers during the AACR research grant review process, allowing them to focus their efforts on the scientific merit of each proposal. She hopes that attendees of this session will gain insight into how grants are discussed within the committee and an “understanding of the common grantsmanship skills that are part of every successful grant.” Dr. Ryeom hopes that attendees will realize that “the reviewers always want to be on the side of the applicant,” so it is important to ensure that an application warrants advocacy from the reviewers.
Meet the Research Grant Reviewers will serve as an open forum for attendees to ask research grant reviewers any questions they might not otherwise get the opportunity to discuss. The goal is for attendees to leave the event with a deeper understanding of the AACR grant review process, insight into the thought process of a grant reviewer, and valuable guidance on how to craft a grant application for successful funding.