Conference Scholarship Policy

Scholarship applications must be submitted prior to the regular abstract submission deadline (see specific abstract deadlines for the given year). Each applicant may only submit one (1) abstract for a Conference Scholarship.

This award is open to MASCC members and non-members.

Purpose
MASCC is committed to increasing attendance of oncology healthcare professionals from low-income countries at our Annual Meeting. We provide a limited number of Conference Scholarships for this purpose in cases where attendance would not be possible without financial assistance.

Scope
This scholarship is given to oncology healthcare professionals whose practice and/or research focuses on supportive care in cancer, such as physicians, nurses, social workers, pharmacists, dental hygienists, and psychologists. Qualified applicants must affirm their inability to attend the Annual Meeting without scholarship funds.

Award
A Conference Scholarship includes the following:

• Complimentary conference registration for the Annual Meeting,
• Two (2) nights’ accommodation for the Annual Meeting, and
• Reimbursement of travel expenses as per current MASCC reimbursement policies (for details, please contact events@mascc.org). Reimbursement will be provided after confirmation of the recipients’ attendance to the Annual Meeting and presentation of their abstract.
• Recipients will be invited to the Awards Reception to receive their award certificate.
• Recipients will receive a one-year online MASCC membership (if they are already a member, they will receive their following year complimentary).

Eligibility

1. Applicants must work and live in a country of limited resources (see Eligible Countries List).
2. Applicants must be oncology healthcare professionals, such as a physicians, nurses, social workers, pharmacists, dentists, dental hygienists, or psychologists.
3. Applicants must have a professional focus on supportive cancer care.
4. Applicants must submit an abstract as first author to the Annual Meeting and answer the questions related to the Conference Scholarship application prior to the regular abstract deadline as noted.
5. Applicants do not have to be members of MASCC, but must register for the Annual Meeting and must be present to receive their certificate at the Awards Reception. If an applicant is unable to be present at the Meeting, then the award is forfeited.
6. Applicants who have previously been awarded a Conference Scholarship (or Travel Scholarship) are not eligible.
7. Applicants are not eligible for any other abstract-based awards for the given year.

Procedures

Application Process

1. There will be an option to apply for a Conference Scholarship when submitting abstracts online. By selecting this option, a series of application questions will be presented to be completed.
2. Applicants must attest to their inability to attend the Annual Meeting without scholarship funds.
3. Abstracts including an application for a Conference Scholarship must be submitted prior to the “Regular” abstract deadline as noted on the abstract guidelines (see critical dates for deadline).

Selection Process

1. The MASCC Awards Committee members and ad hoc reviewers (if needed) will review and score all potential applications and make a decision based on the following criteria:
   • Stated need to attend the Annual Meeting,
   • Potential benefits from attending the Annual Meeting, and
   • Quality of submitted abstracts based on (1) impact, (2) innovation, (3) research strategy, and (4) quality of writing.
2. Recipients will be determined by the highest scores.
3. A limited number of Conference Scholarships will be awarded each year. The specific number of Conference Scholarships will depend on the availability of funds.
4. All applicants will be notified of the MASCC Awards Committee’s decision via email. The award recipient(s) will receive the next steps for completing conference registration.
5. Scholarship recipients must be present at the Annual Meeting and attend the Awards Reception to receive a travel reimbursement.
6. Scholarship recipients may be asked by email to provide feedback after the Annual Meeting. Award recipients are required to respond within five (5) business days of such a request.