La strategia di AIRC per la ricerca Riunione Nazionale COMU (3-4 Febbraio 2017) La ricerca in oncologia: il ruolo degli attori istituzionali La strategia di AIRC per la ricerca Federico Caligaris Cappio direttore scientifico AIRC

Some information about AIRC Founded in 1965 at the National Cancer Institute in Milan AIRC has become the major Italian charity with: more than 1,500,000 donor members more than 20,000 volunteers for voluntary services about 5,000 researchers supported all over Italy Our mission in a nutshell Finding the Cure of Cancer through Research

Some information about AIRC Our mission more extensively Funding the research on cancer carried out at scientific institutions, universities and hospitals in Italy Completing the education of young researchers in Italy and abroad Informing the public and raising awareness of progress in cancer research

8 million visitors on airc.it 493,000 likes 21,400 followers AIRC COMMUNITY 20,000 volunteers 4,5 million supporters 8 million visitors on airc.it 493,000 likes 21,400 followers 17 REGIONAL COMMITTEES

How AIRC raises funds AIRC raises funds in different ways: Membership fees National fundraising campaigns “5xmille” of income taxes Local events (e.g. concerts, shows, sport tournaments, auctions) Other donations (corporate, partnerships, co-funding)

AIRC main activities and priorities To support junior and senior scientists Grants for junior scientists Grants for senior scientists Fellowships In Italy Fellowships abroad multi-unit Grants The selection of applications to be funded is based uniquely on merit Publication of the Call Peer review Applications submission Ranking Funding

AIRC peer review system A panel of approx. 600 international investigators working abroad Internationally recognized Italian scientists, members of the “Comitato Tecnico Scientifico” (CTS) Three reviewers for any application selected on the basis of their competence and absence of conflict of interest

An example: evaluation of Investigator Grants 2016 First phase: 413 applications assigned to 400 international reviewers and 27 CTS members Rejected (143) Approved (63) “Gray zone” (207) An example: evaluation of Investigator Grants 2016 Second phase: 27 CTS members study section Zona grigia: respinti (146) TOTAL APPROVED: 124 (30%) Total Rejected: 289 Gray zone: rejected (146) Gray zone: approved (61) Zona grigia: approvati (61)

AIRC activity 2013-2015 Publication of the call Applications received Peer Review Evaluation Ranking Funding 85% NON-Clinical (Basic, Translat) 15% Clinical CALLs published 21 Number of eligible investigator-initiated applications received and sent out for review: Research projects1852 Fellowship 995

Timeline (grants) February: January 2nd 2017: Call for proposals Start of grant November: Board of Directors meeting and notification of results February: Call for proposals March: Deadline for applications April: Reviewers assignment October: Study section Meeting (IG, MFAG) September: evaluation of final report of previous funding (IG) June: Deadline for review August: Analysis of reviews, initial ranking

What AIRC is financing (2016) AIRC supports junior scientists Borse per l’Italia Fellowships Abroad in Italy One year Two yrs Three yrs AIRC FIRC Received (2016): 267 Approved: 69 (26%) One year Two yrs AIRC AIRC-EU FIRC Received (2016): 20 Approved: 9 (45%)

What AIRC is financing (2016) AIRC supports junior scientists Borse per l’Italia Grants for Junior Scientists MFAG (2016): Presubmissions: 158 Accepted: 55 Funded: 19 (34.5%) My First AIRC G: € 75.000/yr/3 years. Age < 40 Start-Up: € 150.000/yr/ 3 + 2 years. Age ≤ 35 Start Up (2016): Presubmissions: 47 Accepted: 17 Funded: 3 (17.6%)

What AIRC is financing: senior scientists Investigator Grants (IG): 5 years Average request: 50,000 – 550,000 €/yr Grants for Senior Scientists Investigator Grants 2016 RECEIVED: 413 APPROVED: 124 (30%) Rejected:289

What AIRC is financing (2016) AIRC supports both junior and senior scientists Borse per l’Italia Multi-Unit Grants Special Programmes 5xmille (5 yrs + 2 yr extension) Molecular Clinical Oncology Programme (2010): N. 10 Projects funded; 2-3 M€/year/each Innovative Tools for Cancer Risk Assessment and Early Diagnosis (2011): N. 4 Projects funded; 2-3 M€/year/each

Activity of the past three years How much money has AIRC invested? 2012 2013 2014 2015 AIRC FIRC Sostegno ai giovani ricercatori (Fellowships, MFAG, Start-Up, TRIDEO) € 6.718.446 € 2.890.000 € 6.672.011 € 8.957.857 € 3.866.758 € 9.412.630 € 3.375.000 Programmi 5 x mille e progetti speciali € 31.014.651 € 23.820.694 € 19.190.885 € 21.383.052 Investigator Grants € 49.639.000 € 48.143.997 € 52.658.672 € 57.326.210 Totale € 87.372.097 € 78.636.703 € 80.807.415 € 88.121.893

How much money has AIRC invested in science in 2016? Individual grants € 59.798.311,32 Grants 5 x mille 2010-2011 € 2.017.310,46 Extension 5 x mille € 18.307.995,99 Special Regional Grants € 300.000,00 Multi-User Equipment Grants € 1.472.300,00 Sub-total Grants € 81.862.917,77 AIRC Fellowships Italy 2016 € 365.000,00 AIRC/FIRC fellowships Abroad 2016 € 217.056,49 AIRC/EU fellowships – Mini Extension € 217.200,00 Sub-total fellowships € 799.256,49 Total € 82.662.174,26

Percentage of male and female PIs and staff in AIRC funded projects PI vs Staff Funded projects (2013-15) all Calls (IG, 5 per mille, MFAG, Start-up, Trideo)

Percentage of male and female senior and junior PIs in AIRC funded projects Senior PI (IG, 5 per mille) vs junior PI (MFAG, Start-up, Trideo) Funded projects (2013-15)

International collaborations of AIRC-funded Italian scientists Dataset AIRC Thomson Reuters 2008-2015

National and International partners of AIRC-funded Italian scientists Number of publications Dataset AIRC Thomson Reuters 2008-2015

Some Aspects of the Strategic Plan 2016 – 2018 Facts and Discussions Cancer knows no boundaries: why should cancer research ? Partnership between AIRC and other major international charities and/or Institutions e.g. Cancer Research United Kingdom (CRUK) A critical issue: the career of young scientists AIRC- financed PhD in Molecular Oncology Critical Career Awards: discussions ongoing

My First AIRC Grant (MFAG) transition to independence max 40 anni Funding: 5 anni con un mid-term report al terzo anno più site-visit a campione Budget: 100.000 €/anno, include 50% stipendio Applications attese: circa 200 Funding: circa 15 applications

Start-Up – reintegration Max 35 anni Funding: 5 anni con site-visit al terzo anno Budget: 200.000 euro/anno incluso stipendio Applications attese: circa 50 Funding: circa 3 applications

Finding the Cure of Cancer through Research AIRC Historical Timeline INTERNATIONAL PARTNERSHIPS AIRC/ EU Marie Curie Actions Fellowships TRIDEO AIRC 5 x mille Multi Unit Grants My First AIRC Grant Technology Platforms Regional Grants Start Up Grants Investigator Grants Fellowships Finding the Cure of Cancer through Research 1965 1998 2004 2008 2009 2010 2014 2018 (2019)

AIRC Career Pipeline AIRC pipeline grants AIRC SUPPORTS BOTH JUNIOR AND SENIOR SCIENTISTS AIRC Career Pipeline Grants Junior Scientists Grants Senior Scientists (MFAG) Transition toward Independence Fellowships Italy and abroad Start-up Reintegration Investigator Grants Multi-unit Grants Including PhD Scholarships INTERNATIONAL GRANTS

How can we do what we do ?

How can we do what we do ? AIRC Peer Review Office (APRO) Lisa Vozza (AIRC chief scientific officer) Degree in Biological sciences Research Fellow at New York University, USA (1994-95) Editorial coordinator for the European editions of Scientific American (1996-2003) Joined AIRC in 2004 Edits and writes popular science books in parallel to her work at AIRC Alessandra Mazzoni Degree in Biological sciences Research fellow at the National Cancer Institute, Milan (1993-1997) Research fellow at the National Institutes of Health, USA (1997-2008) Intern at the NIH Center for Scientific Review, USA (2008) Joined AIRC at the end of 2008 Laura Galbiati Degree in Biological sciences PhD and Post Doctoral fellow at SISSA/ICGEB, Trieste (1999-2005) Research fellow at the University of Sussex , UK (2005 -2007) Business developer at Nature Publishing Group and free-lance editor (IT, FR, ES) (2007-2010) Joined AIRC in 2010 Ilaria Guerini Degree in Biotechnologies PhD and Post Doctoral fellow at the University of Milan-Bicocca (2005-2009) Post Doctoral fellow at the Gurdon Institute in Cambridge, UK (2009-2012) Free-lance scientific writer for Springer Healthcare Italy (2012) Joined AIRC at the beginning of 2013

Number of Grant applications AIRC (grants and fellowships) in Peer Review (2008-2015)

RESEARCH SPEND: OUR BREADTH AND DEPTH OF CAPABILITY RESEARCH PIPELINE FUNDING: BREAKDOWN: AIRC 53% Basic 45% - Biology 2% - Prevention AI 2% - Cancer control, survival & outcomes 7% - Causes 85% NON-Clinical (Basic, Translat) Information from 13/14 data- Received from Research Strategy and Evaluation team Feb 2016 14% - Early diagnosis, Detection & prognosis 26% Translational 15% Clinical 21% Clinical 30% - Treatment

Monitoring the productivity of AIRC researchers • Publications on scientific journals (AIRC scientific officers) • Final report analysis in case of previous fundings (reviewers) • Site visits for 5-yr grant programs, e.g. Start-Up, 5 x mille • Attendance at scientific meetings, retreats, etc.

Piano Strategico Scientifico Il Punto di Partenza: Cosa AIRC finanzia e a quale fine AIRC finanzia ricercatori giovani e ricercatori affermati Grants per ricercatori giovani Grants per ricercatori affermati Borse per l’Italia Borse per l’estero Grants multi-unit Missione di AIRC Trovare la Cura del Cancro attraverso la Ricerca Piano Strategico Scientifico

Piano Strategico Scientifico Implementare l’esistente Ideare nuove modalità Internazionalizzazione Carriere giovani Tradurre risultati in reali benefici per i pazienti Forme di finanziamento esistenti B. Nuove forme di finanziamento a tempi brevi-medi C. Nuove forme di finanziamento ipotizzabili a lungo termine e potenziali novità dall’esito non ancora prevedibile

Quanti revisori valutano ogni progetto? Ogni richiesta di finanziamento viene valutata in maniera indipendente da almeno 3 revisori competenti nella specifica area di ricerca del progetto La composizione del gruppo di valutazione varia a seconda del tipo di finanziamento: Investigator Grants: 2 revisori internazionali e 1 membro del CTS MFAG: 3 revisori internazionali Start-Up: 3 revisori internazionali Borse di studio (Italia): 3 membri del CTS Borse di studio (estero): 2 membri del CTS and 1 revisore internazionale

Our review criteria (input to reviewers) • significance and impact on cancer • innovation • approach and feasibility • expertise and track record of the applicant • adequacy of the budget requested • experience in mentoring and training (fellowships)