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EVALUATION OF RESEARCH GRANTS PROGRAM
Since the inception of its grants program in 2003, the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network has awarded 66 research grants, totaling over $10 million, to scientists at prestigious biomedical research institutions across the U.S. Our grants program is administered in partnership with the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) to ensure a rigorous peer-review of grant proposals. This means only the most promising science is selected for funding.
ADVANCING THE SCIENCE
Grant recipients have utilized our funds to make significant progress in understanding the basic biology of the disease, developing better diagnostic tools, and improving treatment options. Highlights of their scientific advances include:
- Development of the first genetic mouse model of pancreatic cancer that accurately mimics human disease and progression, which has since been widely used in research laboratories around the world.
- Discovery and analysis of potential biomarkers (including plectin 1) that distinguish pancreatic cancer from normal cells or non-cancerous inflammation.
- Use of circulating tumor cells (cancer cells that are detectable in a patient’s bloodstream) to measure response to treatment, disease recurrence, or progression.
- Characterization of the genetic changes that take place within a cell to cause cancer.
- Enhanced understanding of the use of vaccines to stimulate a patient’s immune system to attack cancer cells.
 LEVERAGING OUR INVESTMENT
Grant recipients have successfully leveraged the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network’s research investment, allowing them to expand their scientific investigations and take next steps in pursuing medical breakthroughs for pancreatic cancer. From 2003-20091 the organization invested $4.8 million in research funding, made possible by private donations and volunteer fundraising. Grant recipients leveraged this investment into $41.7 million in additional pancreatic cancer research funding*. In other words, for every dollar that we spend, grantees received an average of $8.61 in additional research.
- Nearly 70 percent of Pancreatic Cancer Action Network grant recipients have received subsequent funding to continue studying pancreatic cancer.
- *The majority (64 percent) of subsequent dollars came from the National Cancer Institute.
DISSEMINATING SCIENTIFIC RESULTS
To date, our grant recipients have published a total of 219 scientific articles pertaining to pancreatic cancer, thus distributing their scientific findings to the research community and allowing other scientists to build upon their results.
- 92 percent have published at least one pancreatic cancer related article.
- The 219 articles have been cited by other scientists nearly 3,500 times.
BUILDING A COMPREHENSIVE RESEARCH COMMUNITY
In addition to research funds, the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network offers grant recipients considerable career development opportunities. The aim of these mentorship and professional activities is to create collaborations among scientists, build future scientific leaders, and strengthen the pancreatic cancer research community. The Pancreatic Cancer Action Network incurs these professional development costs of approximately $10,000 per grant.
Whether providing funding for early-career scientists (Career Development Awards, Fellowships and Pathway to Leadership Grants), or supporting novel research ideas (Innovative Grants), the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network strives to build a robust research community and provide the resources necessary to produce medical breakthroughs. More researchers, more research and more collaboration - that is how we speed better treatments and cures for pancreatic cancer.
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