American Association for Cancer Research and Bayer Form Partnership on Grant Opportunities in Cancer Research

PHILADELPHIA and WHIPPANY, N.J., Dec. 17, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- The American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) and Bayer are pleased to announce the 2016 AACR-Bayer Innovation and Discovery Grants program for meritorious projects that examine novel targets and biomarkers in oncology research.

"The AACR is thrilled to partner with Bayer to help transform foundational science into innovative therapeutics for cancer patients," said Mitch Stoller, executive director of the AACR Foundation. "While we have made great progress against the more than 200 diseases we call cancer, with nearly 600,000 people in the United States projected to die due to cancer this year, we must redouble our efforts to provide groundbreaking approaches to treat and prevent cancer."

The AACR-Bayer Innovation and Discovery Grants will promote the key tenets of the Bayer Grants4Targets initiative: to provide new treatment options for cancers with high unmet medical need, to encourage innovation and translation of ideas from basic research into novel drugs, and to foster collaborations between academic groups and the pharmaceutical industry.  Bayer's Grants4Targets initiative, originally introduced in 2009, translates ideas from basic research into novel drugs through grants for research into drug targets and biomarkers.

"Bayer is committed to partnering with elite organizations, and we are delighted to launch the AACR-Bayer Innovation and Discovery Grant program and support exciting early cancer research," said Karl Ziegelbauer, PhD, Bayer's senior vice president and Head of Global Therapeutic Research Groups at Global Drug Discovery.  "The goal of the AACR-Bayer partnership is to help translate innovative ideas into projects that will result in an improved understanding of the pathogenesis of cancer, with the hope of contributing meaningful results to cancer research and discovery."

The research proposed for funding should examine novel therapeutic targets focusing on the following oncology research areas:

• inhibition of cell proliferation;
• survival signaling;
• transcription and chromatin modulation;
• cell cycle regulation;
• tumor metabolism;
• hypoxia;
• immunotherapy; and
• antibody-drug conjugates.

It is anticipated that multiple grants will be funded. Each grant will provide $10,000 to $25,000 over a period of one year, with the grant term to begin July 1, 2016.  All the recipients will be offered the opportunity to work with a Bayer mentor who will provide guidance, expertise, and/or tools to accelerate the translation of their scientific idea.

Investigators interested in the program can find further details online. To complete an application, please visit http://myaacr.aacr.org. Applications must be submitted by noon ET, Jan. 18, 2016. Additional inquiries may be directed to Shaun Fitzpatrick at [email protected]. 

In April, 2015, the AACR and Bayer launched a joint initiative to provide critical support to postdoctoral and clinical fellows conducting basic cancer research at the earliest stages of their careers. That initiative, called the AACR-Bayer HealthCare Basic Cancer Research Fellowships program, provided two fellowships to cancer researchers.

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About the American Association for Cancer Research
Founded in 1907, the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) is the world's oldest and largest professional organization dedicated to advancing cancer research and its mission to prevent and cure cancer. AACR membership includes more than 35,000 laboratory, translational, and clinical researchers; population scientists; other health care professionals; and patient advocates residing in 101 countries. The AACR marshals the full spectrum of expertise of the cancer community to accelerate progress in the prevention, biology, diagnosis, and treatment of cancer by annually convening more than 30 conferences and educational workshops, the largest of which is the AACR Annual Meeting with nearly 19,300 attendees. In addition, the AACR publishes eight prestigious, peer-reviewed scientific journals and a magazine for cancer survivors, patients, and their caregivers. The AACR funds meritorious research directly as well as in cooperation with numerous cancer organizations. As the Scientific Partner of Stand Up To Cancer, the AACR provides expert peer review, grants administration, and scientific oversight of team science and individual investigator grants in cancer research that have the potential for near-term patient benefit. The AACR actively communicates with legislators and other policymakers about the value of cancer research and related biomedical science in saving lives from cancer. For more information about the AACR, visit www.AACR.org.

Bayer: Science For A Better Life
Bayer is a global enterprise with core competencies in the Life Science fields of health care and agriculture. Its products and services are designed to benefit people and improve their lives. At the same time, the Group aims to create value through innovation, growth and high earning power. Bayer is committed to the principles of sustainable development and to its social and ethical responsibilities as a corporate citizen. In fiscal 2014, the Group employed around 119,000 people and had sales of EUR 42.2 billion. Capital expenditures amounted to EUR 2.5 billion, R&D expenses to EUR 3.6 billion. These figures include those for the high-tech polymers business, which was floated on the stock market as an independent company named Covestro on October 6, 2015. For more information, go to www.bayer.us.

Bayer® and the Bayer Cross® are registered trademarks of Bayer.

Forward-Looking Statements
This release may contain forward-looking statements based on current assumptions and forecasts made by Bayer Group or subgroup management. Various known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors could lead to material differences between the actual future results, financial situation, development or performance of the company and the estimates given here. These factors include those discussed in Bayer's public reports which are available on the Bayer website at www.bayer.com. The company assumes no liability whatsoever to update these forward-looking statements or to conform them to future events or developments.

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