Szent-Györgyi Prize for Progress in Cancer Research

Selection Criteria

Nominations for the Prize may be made by individuals from the research community, industry, government, or other organizations who are sufficiently familiar with the research accomplishments and contributions of the nominee. Self-nominations will not be accepted.

Candidates must have made an original discovery or achieved a breakthrough in scientific understanding that has been developed, by them or others, for better prevention, earlier diagnosis, or new treatments for patients with cancer.

The Selection Committee encourages nominations of women and other underserved groups.

Typically, a single winner will be chosen, but in exceptional cases, two nominees may share the Prize.

2022 Szent-Györgyi Prize Trophy for Rakesh K. Jain

The Szent-Györgyi Prize Selection Committee

The Szent-Györgyi Prize Selection Committee advises and consults with the National Foundation for Cancer Research on each year’s pool of Prize nominees. The Committee considers the research history and contributions of each nominee, with special emphasis on the importance of the research featured in the nomination materials; the significance, originality, and impact of that research as well as the nominee’s entire body of scientific contributions; each nominee’s professional activities and publications as reflected in the curriculum vitae; and other relevant aspects of each nominee’s career in research.

The Committee may combine two nominations (of a similar field) that were nominated separately. The Committee will only consider submitted nominations.

It will be the charge of the selection committee members to evaluate each candidate’s accomplishments and provide a dispassionate narrative, not to serve as champions of the candidates.

The Prize Winner each year will serve as the selection chair of the Szent-Györgyi Prize Selection Committee for the following year. In case the Prize Winner is unable to serve as the incoming chair, the previous chair will serve as de facto chair of the new Committee. 

 


 

The Prize Selection Committee reviews all submissions. If you have questions or need more information, please email ASGPrize@NFCR.org.

You can download all nomination information here: 2024 CALL FOR NOMINATIONS.

Nominations are reviewed and evaluated based on the following criteria:

1. The candidate is nominated for a seminal discovery or a pioneering body of work that has contributed to cancer prevention, diagnosis, or treatment.

and

2. The candidate’s work has had a lasting impact on understanding cancer, holding the promise of improving or saving the lives of cancer patients.

Please submit the following REQUIRED DOCUMENTS through the Nomination Portal:

  • A letter of recommendation (800 words or less) outlining the nominee’s significant contributions to cancer research. The letter should describe the impact that the nominee’s research has had on our understanding of cancer and cancer causation, and how that knowledge has resulted, or can result, in strategies for preventing or treating cancer.
  • A simplified current curriculum vitae of the nominee; ten (10) pages maximum.
  • A list of the nominee’s most important published papers (15 max), in the view of the nominator. No press clippings please.
  • Complete contact information of nominee including cell phone.
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