Membership Process

Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center membership is available to individuals who have a demonstrable interest in cancer treatment and research. Application for membership to the cancer center is voluntary and will indicate agreement by the applicant with the cancer center's basic objectives and policy requirements.

Cancer center members must have a primary appointment in a department; approval of the department chair is required for membership. Only applications from individuals will be considered. Cancer center appointments are for a two-year period. Reappointment may be routinely extended where appropriate.

Eligibility

Full member status:

• Professor and Associate Professor (and equivalent) - must meet one of two criteria:

Have active peer-reviewed extramural cancer research funding (preferably by the National Cancer Institute or the National Institutes of Health) as a principal investigator or named co-principal investigator.

Have a consistent history in the design and implementation of cancer clinical protocols and the accrual of patients to these protocols as the principal investigator or named co-principal investigator.

• Assistant Professors (& equivalent) - must have established funding for cancer research or be able to demonstrate a research direction that enhances our understanding of cancer directly, i.e., established investigations of mechanisms of cancer etiology and prevention
• Assistant Professors (and equivalent) - must have established funding for cancer research or be able to demonstrate a research direction that enhances our understanding of cancer directly, i.e., established investigations of mechanisms of cancer etiology and prevention.

Associate Member Status:

• Professor and Associate Professor (and equivalent) - must meet one of two criteria:

Intends to have active peer-reviewed extramural cancer research funding (preferably by the National Cancer Institute or the National Institutes of Health) as a principal investigator or named co-principal investigator. 

Intends to design and implement cancer clinical protocols and to accrue patients as the principal investigator or named co-principal investigator.

• Assistant Professors (and equivalent) - must intend to establish funding for cancer research or be able to demonstrate a research and/or education direction that enhances our understanding of cancer directly 

No Academic Appointment - Prospective members must be able to demonstrate cancer-related research activities

Application Process

Once a membership application is completed and submitted to the cancer center, it is reviewed by program leaders who determine whether to grant a full or associate membership.

An official membership letter signed by the director then is sent to the prospective member with copies to the applicable program leaders and the associate director. The member's name is added to the cancer center e-mail list, cancer center website, member tracking spreadsheet and BA3. A membership file including the application and a copy of the membership letter is set up. The file also indicates if the membership is full or associate.

Membership Reappointment

All members are reviewed for reappointment every two years. In addition to meeting the criteria above, all will be evaluated for reappointment based on activities associated with membership objectives listed above. In particular, the review will consider:

• Collaborative activities with members of the cancer center's scientific programs
• Attendance at membership meetings sponsored by programs or by the cancer center
• Participation in cancer center research efforts
• Leadership in significant outside organizations engaged with cancer
• Participation in peer-review study sections or other demonstrations of interaction with the cancer program

Based on the review, categorical memberships may be changed or terminated.

National Cancer Institute policy requires that members who join another NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center must have their CFCCC membership terminated.