AACR Scholar-in-Training Award: Eligibility

The AACR Scholar-in-Training Award is a merit-based travel award from the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) that offsets part of the registration, travel and subsistence costs of attending the AACR Annual Meeting. It is aimed at trainees who are the first author and presenter of an abstract. The details below are as described on the official AACR pages on 2026-10-29, for the 2027 Annual Meeting cycle; AACR revises its awards each year, so confirm the current cycle on the official page before you plan around any date or rule.

What the official page states but applicants often miss: the award is attendance-only support, it cannot be used for remote presentation, it is forfeited if you cannot attend, and you may accept only one AACR award for the meeting. Those conditions are collected in the checklist and table below.

What it is and who runs it

The award is run by AACR, the professional society for cancer researchers. The awards for the Annual Meeting are partial support: AACR describes them as meant to offset a portion of the registration, travel and subsistence expenses of attending. They are not a research grant and fund no project costs. Some awards are funded by named supporters; AACR notes that awards funded by certain supporters are restricted to certain types of cancer research.

The Annual Meeting awards come in several variants, all applied for through the same process:

General Scholar-in-Training Awards: merit-based, open to qualifying trainees across cancer research.
AACR-CIHR Scholar-in-Training Awards: created with the Canadian Institutes of Health Research for early-career investigators who are Canadian citizens or permanent residents of Canada, with special consideration for members of underrepresented groups as recognized by the Government of Canada and CIHR. All general eligibility criteria also apply.
Scholar-in-Training Awards for Surgical Oncologists: supported by AACR, the Society for Surgical Oncology (SSO) and The Margaret Foti Foundation, for early-career surgical oncologists presenting meritorious proffered abstracts.

Eligibility (summary, with the official source)

The rules below are summarized from the AACR page Scholar-in-Training Awards for Annual Meeting (aacr.org/professionals/research-funding/awards-and-grants/scholar-in-training-awards/), checked on 2026-10-29:

You must be the first author and the presenter of an abstract submitted for the Annual Meeting.
You must be an AACR Associate Member in good standing, with membership current through the meeting year as the page states it. Nonmember graduate students, medical students and residents, clinical fellows or equivalent, and postdoctoral fellows can apply for membership; AACR asks that nonmembers apply at least one month before the application deadline so processing finishes in time.
You cannot be an employee or subcontractor of a for-profit private industry.
You may apply for other AACR travel awards, but you may accept only one AACR award to attend the Annual Meeting.
Late-breaking abstracts are not eligible.

If you hold a postdoctoral fellowship or are otherwise an early-career researcher, check the membership category on the AACR page rather than assuming your job title qualifies.

What it funds or requires

The award is paid to offset part of the cost of registration, travel and subsistence. Recipients make their own travel arrangements, and AACR states that awardees are not reimbursed for expenses beyond what they receive in their award payment. Requirements attached to accepting it:

Recipients must present their work in person; the page states that no remote presentation is allowed.
If a recipient cannot attend the Annual Meeting, the award must be forfeited, and a recipient who cancels is financially responsible for any costs incurred.
Awardees take part in a welcome reception during the meeting.

Because the money covers only a portion of costs, treat it as one source in a travel budget. Institutional support or a separate conference travel grant may be needed for the remainder.

Application or compliance steps

The order matters, because the application depends on a number that exists only after you start the abstract:

Start the abstract submission first. The Scholar-in-Training application requires the abstract control number created when you initiate an online abstract submission for the Annual Meeting. Have it ready before you begin the award application. If you need help with the abstract itself, see how to write a research abstract.
Confirm or obtain AACR membership early enough for processing (at least one month before the deadline for nonmembers, per AACR).
Apply in myAACR. The application is listed under the Applications/Awards tab.
Provide the application materials: the abstract title, body and control number; a CV with publications; a personal statement; and a lay project summary of up to three sentences.
Submit every section before the deadline. AACR states that all sections must be completed and submitted by the deadline to be considered.

Selection is merit-based: AACR says recipients are chosen on the quality of the abstract, personal statement and CV, overall eligibility, accomplishments, and the importance of the award to the applicant’s career.

Typical timeline phases

Calendar dates change each cycle, so plan by phase rather than by a remembered date. As described on the official page on 2026-10-29, the sequence is:

Abstract submission for the Annual Meeting (this produces the control number).
Membership processing, if you are not already a member, completed ahead of the award deadline.
Award application deadline, a single cutoff with no partial credit for incomplete sections.
Review, followed by email notification to recipients in the late winter before the meeting.
Arrangement of your own travel, then in-person attendance, presentation and the awardee welcome reception.

For a spring Annual Meeting, the award deadline falls in the autumn before it, so the abstract and membership steps have to be handled earlier than many applicants expect.

Common mistakes

Starting the award application before the abstract. Without the control number the application cannot be completed.
Applying for membership too late. AACR asks nonmembers to apply at least one month before the deadline.
Submitting a late-breaking abstract. These are not eligible for the award.
Assuming industry-sponsored trainees qualify. Employees and subcontractors of for-profit private industry are excluded.
Planning to present remotely. The award requires in-person presentation.
Expecting a full reimbursement. The award is partial, and nothing beyond it is reimbursed.
Accepting more than one AACR award. You may apply for others but accept only one for the Annual Meeting.

Related programs

AACR lists several travel award programs on its Travel Grants page (checked 2026-10-29). Each has its own audience and rules, so check the program page before applying.

Program	Who it is for, as described by AACR
Scholar-in-Training Awards, Annual Meeting	Trainee first authors and presenters of Annual Meeting abstracts who are AACR Associate Members
AACR-CIHR Scholar-in-Training Awards	Early-career investigators who are Canadian citizens or permanent residents of Canada, within the Annual Meeting awards
Scholar-in-Training Awards for Surgical Oncologists	Early-career surgical oncologists presenting proffered abstracts, within the Annual Meeting awards
Scholar-in-Training Awards, Other Conferences and Meetings	Graduate and medical students, postdoctoral fellows and physicians-in-training who submit abstracts and are AACR members in good standing
Global Scholar-in-Training Awards	Listed on the AACR Travel Grants page for researchers from countries building cancer research capacity
Women in Cancer Research Scholar Awards	Listed on the AACR Travel Grants page for members of the Women in Cancer Research group
Faculty, Early-Career and Undergraduate Scholar Awards	Separate AACR programs listed on the Travel Grants page; the Undergraduate award is described for full-time third-year science majors

For the Other Conferences and Meetings awards, AACR states that amounts vary by conference, that a letter of recommendation from a program supervisor or department head is part of the process, that late applications will not be considered, and that applicants are notified roughly three weeks after the deadline. That differs from the Annual Meeting award, which is applied for in myAACR with a control number, CV, personal statement and lay summary. For funding beyond conference travel, see the wider cancer research funding overview, Damon Runyon fellowships and career awards and early-career foundation fellowships compared.

FAQ

Who can apply for the AACR Scholar-in-Training Award?

Trainees who are the first author and presenter of an Annual Meeting abstract and hold AACR Associate Membership in good standing. Employees and subcontractors of for-profit private industry are excluded.

Does the award cover all my costs?

No. AACR describes it as offsetting a portion of registration, travel and subsistence expenses, and it does not reimburse expenses beyond the award amount.

Can I present remotely if I win?

No. AACR states that awardees must present in person and that no remote presentation is allowed.

Can I use a late-breaking abstract?

No. The official page states that Scholar-in-Training Awards are not available for late-breaking abstracts.

Can I accept more than one AACR travel award?

You may apply for other AACR travel awards, but you may accept only one AACR award to attend the Annual Meeting.

Where do I apply?

Through myAACR, under the Applications/Awards tab, using the abstract control number created when you began the abstract submission.

Sources

AACR, Scholar-in-Training Awards for Annual Meeting, https://www.aacr.org/professionals/research-funding/awards-and-grants/scholar-in-training-awards/ (date checked: 2026-10-29).
AACR, AACR Scholar-in-Training Awards: Other Conferences and Meetings, https://www.aacr.org/professionals/meetings/aacr-travel-grants/aacr-scholar-in-training-awards-other-conferences-and-meetings/ (date checked: 2026-10-29).
AACR, Travel Grants, https://www.aacr.org/professionals/meetings/aacr-travel-grants/ (date checked: 2026-10-29).