Tandem: A call for translational cancer research projects co-led by one clinician and one scientist engaged in basic research
It is widely agreed that creativity and innovation take place at the interface of disciplines, when two mind-sets meet to solve a common problem. Inter- or multi-disciplinary teams are motivated by the challenge of sharing a common goal, forming a cooperative, not competitive collaboration. The AGORA cancer research center was built by the ISREC Foundation to bring together researchers from different institutions with a common goal – that of developing innovative therapies and diagnostics for cancer patients. Now for the third year, the ISREC Foundation launches a call for Tandem projects, in which pairs of clinicians and research scientists jointly design a translational research project that they will co-lead.
We are interested in training a cadre of ‘translational’ investigators who are well versed in the latest scientific techniques as well as clinical challenges. We hope to foster a “bedside-and-bench” rather than a “bench-to-bedside” approach to translational research, in which younger investigators are guided jointly by a clinician and a specialized scientist who have made the effort to define a common project. Bridging the “language barrier” between the clinic and basic research is often half of the challenge, thus we expect the co-written projects to reflect a strong collaboration between the scientist and clinical partners, addressing problems of immediate need in cancer therapy or diagnostics.
The goal of the Tandem program is thus both to advance clinically relevant discoveries in cancer therapy, and to produce postdocs and research assistants fluent in both the language of basic research and that of the clinic. Specific training can be covered, as well as funding to allow clinicians to spend time in a research lab (covering partial dispensation from clinical duties).
The Tandem program will fund 2- or 3-year grants for the salaries of postdocs or research assistants who will be co-supervised by a team of equals, that is, one research scientist/engineer and one (or under exceptional conditions, two) clinicians. Applications are welcome from anywhere in Switzerland. Please submit a letter of intent (non-binding) by December 15, 2023, containing the names, addresses and positions held by the principal applicants, the topic or title, a brief abstract (150 word maximum) and keywords. By January 15, 2024, you will receive an invitation to submit a full proposal, if you meet our application requirements. The full proposal deadline is March 1, 2024.
| Submission deadlines: | → Letter of intent: 15.12.2023 → Application: 01.03.2024 |
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