Faculty Membership Policy

Policy Statement

The goal of the GW Cancer Center is to foster research that will advance the understanding, treatment and prevention of cancer, with special emphasis on solving problems affecting cancer patients and the broader community within the greater Washington DC region, our catchment area.

To achieve our goal of becoming an NCI-designated cancer center within the decade, the GW Cancer Center offers to the broader community of basic, population, translational and clinical investigators at GWU, MFA, CNH & GWU Hospital and affiliated institutions the opportunity to become members of the GW Cancer Center and provide solutions to the cancer problem affecting our catchment area, our region and our nation.

This policy provides administrative structure to support collaborative and interdisciplinary research that have clear cancer relevance. In addition, this policy encourages inclusion of investigators with new perspectives and technologies emanating from research areas other than cancer to apply their expertise to solve the cancer problem. 

Purpose

This policy defines the GW Cancer Center’s Membership Program and its application, review, and renewal processes.

Scope

This policy applies to all faculty involved in clinical and research activities relevant to understanding, treating and preventing cancer who wish to participate in the GW Cancer Center programs.

Procedures

Oversight

Membership is overseen by the Scientific Leadership Committee of the GW Cancer Center, which reviews applications for membership, ensures eligibility and sponsorship by a Program Leader, and conducts periodic review for sustained membership. These reviews should occur annually. 

Eligibility for Membership

• A candidate’s research interests must be applicable to the cancer field in its broadest sense.
   
• The Cancer Center Membership Program is independent of academic appointments, medical staff appointments or admitting privileges. However, Members must have an academic faculty rank within the GWU system or Children’s National Hospital (CNH) to be eligible to apply for Membership (Staff Scientist Members are not expected to hold academic faculty rank). 
   
• A candidate must demonstrate scientific productivity and accomplishments in a discipline related to cancer as indicated by peer-reviewed publications, external funding, clinical research leadership, and/or other demonstrated contributions.
   
• A candidate must agree to collaborate with other members in basic, population or clinical sciences and actively participate in the activities of at least one research program. 
   
• A candidate must be sponsored by a GW Cancer Center Research Program Leader. 
   
• All research faculty hired by the GW Cancer Center are automatically requested to submit for membership.

Membership Categories

The categories of membership define each individual’s role in completing the Center’s mission as it pertains to scientific activity.

Core Member (Assigned to a Research Program and included in Cancer Center Support Grant)
Evidenced by one or more of the following criteria:

• Full-time faculty serving as PI or Project Leader of cancer-relevant, peer-reviewed research grant(s);
   
• Team science investigator (e.g., radiology, pathology, biostatistics) typically listed as co-investigator (e.g., >20% effort on multiple cancer-relevant grants);
   
• Leader in cancer clinical research as evidenced by one of the following:
   
  • PI of an investigator-initiated, institutionally funded cancer trial;
     
  • National leadership role in cancer trials sponsored by the NCI National Clinical Trials Network (NCTN), Community Oncology Research Program (NCORP), or other nationally recognized consortia (e.g., Study Chair/Co-chair, Disease Committee Chair, PI of U series grant);
     
  • National leadership role in an industry-sponsored trial for which the member is a primary scientific contributor to the trial’s design, implementation, and/or monitoring (e.g., Study Chair/Co-chair, Steering Committee, DSMC Chair);
     
  • Site PI of a multi-site interventional, investigator-initiated trial sponsored by another center that has active accrual at the GW Cancer Center;
     
  • Accrues at least 10 patients annually to interventional cancer trials;
     
• New, early career investigator or established researcher active in another field who has gained interest in pursuing cancer-relevant research (4-year initial term). 

Associate Member (Assigned to a Research Program and included in Cancer Center Support Grant)
Evidenced by one or more of the following criteria: 

• Clinician actively enrolling participants onto interventional cancer trials.
   
• Local PI of a GW Cancer Center interventional trial (industry- or NCTN-sponsored cancer trials).
   
• Member or alternate member of a key Cancer Center clinical research committee – Protocol Review and Monitoring Committee (PRMC), Data Safety and Monitoring Committee (DSMC), or Clinical Research Oversight Council (CROC).

Faculty Member (Assigned to a Research Program and not included in Cancer Center Support Grant)

• Faculty whose primary focus falls outside of funded cancer research, but play roles critical to the overall success of the GW Cancer Center, such as a Shared Resource director, oncology service line leader, physician actively engaged in multidisciplinary cancer care, or researcher in a space adjacent to cancer. 

Staff Scientist Member (Assigned to a Research Program and not included in Cancer Center Support Grant)

• Research professionals who are not independent investigators and typically work at the direction of a faculty member.
   
• Hold advanced degrees (such as a Ph.D. or equivalent) and contribute to the center's scientific mission, but are not in tenure-track faculty positions.
   

Responsibilities of Membership

• Active participation in Cancer Center Research Programs in the broadest sense;

  • An actively participating member is defined as one who attends at least 50% of Research Program meetings annually and regularly participates in GW Cancer Center activities such as Center lectures, retreats, and events as appropriate.
     

• Collaboration with other members who share similar research interests;
   

• Completion of a Membership Update upon request, but no more than annually. The Update includes an online review and update of accomplishments including publications, grants, honors, awards and other significant accomplishments.

Research Program Guidelines

• Core Members, Associate Members, and Faculty Members are assigned to one of three GW Cancer Center Research Programs: Cancer Control and Health Equity (CCHE), Cancer Biology and Immunology (CBIP), or Clinical and Translational Research (CTOP).
   

• Although members are encouraged to collaborate across programs, GW Cancer Center Research Programs provide a dedicated home for research activities. Each research program is led by co-leaders with complementary expertise, under the oversight of an Associate Center Director (ACD).
   

• The Research Programs utilize a framework for assigning members to a specific Research Program. However, given the interdisciplinary nature of their work, some members may align with multiple programs. The GW Cancer Center recognizes this fluidity and uses these criteria to make informed decisions, while also leveraging these research intersections to encourage inter-programmatic collaboration.

Application and Review Process

Faculty interested in applying for Cancer Center membership must submit a current CV to GW Cancer Administration. Membership applications are accepted at any time.

All membership applications are forwarded to the Program Leaders for review. Faculty applying for membership are encouraged to communicate with the Program Leaders to garner support for membership application approval. With approval of the Program Leaders, membership applications are reviewed at the next Scientific Leadership Committee.

Any request for changes to Research Program assignment should be first reviewed with the Program Leader. A written request (email) needs to be sent to mkbenedict [at] gwu.edu (Michael Benedict), ACD for Administration for submission to the SLC.

Members are notified of all membership outcomes in writing. 
 

Related Information

CCSG Application Guidelines

Policy Statement
Responsible Party: ACD for Administration
Authorized: Executive Committee
Policy Number: ADM-001
Review Frequency: 3 Years