OCRA Research Prizes

Each year, OCRA recognizes outstanding research by awarding prizes.

About Research Prizes

OCRA is proud to recognize the exceptional research being done by past OCRA grantees. Self-nominations for both prizes are by invitation only to past grantees.

The Rosalind Franklin Prize for Excellence in Ovarian Cancer Research is open to senior researchers. This prize is awarded annually through nominations by the scientific community. To be added to our list for call for nominations, please email: grants@ocrahope.org

The Schreiber Research Prize for Outstanding Mentored Investigators and Liz Tilberis Research Prize for Outstanding Early Career Investigators are awarded biennially. Nominations for both prizes are by invitation only to past grantees. To learn more, please email: grants@ocrahope.org

Rosalind Franklin Excellence in Ovarian Cancer Research Prize

The Rosalind Franklin Prize is named for the molecular biologist Dr. Rosalind Franklin, who played a vital role in discovering the structure of DNA. Dr. Franklin died of ovarian cancer when she was just 37 years old. This prize is presented to a senior researcher who continues Franklin’s legacy of excellence.

Current Winner: Kathleen N. Moore, MD, MS

Kathleen Moore is the Virginia Kerley Cade Endowed Chair in Cancer Developmental Therapeutics and Professor of Gynecologic Oncology in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center. She currently serves as the Deputy Director and Associate Director of Clinical Research at the Stephenson Cancer Center. She completed her gyn oncology fellowship at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center in 2007 and was recruited to join the faculty. She has authored more than 400 peer-reviewed publications and has led clinical trials on the local, national and international level. Her primary areas of interest are in new drug development and Phase I clinical trials.

Learn more

: 2022 – Ursula Matulonis, MD

2021 – Kathleen Cho, MD

2020 – Ie-Ming Shih, MD, PhD

2019 – Kunle Odunsi, MD, PhD, FRCOG, FACOG

2018 – Robert Coleman, MD

2017 – Ronny Drapkin, MD, PhD

2016 – Jeff Boyd, PhD

2015 – Beth Karlan, MD

2014 – Anil Sood, MD

2013 – Elizabeth Swisher, MD

2012 – Ronnie Alvarez, MD

2011 – Robert Allen Burger, MD

2010 – George Coukos, MD, PhD

2009 – Nicole Urban, ScD

2008 – Robert Bast, MD

2007 – Deborah Armstrong, MD

2006 – Elise Kohn, MD

2005 – Barbara Goff, MD

Nomination Guidelines & FAQs

Please read our guidelines below before submitting a nomination.

: The Rosalind Franklin Prize for Excellence in Ovarian Cancer Research is a $10,000 annual prize awarded to an individual in recognition of their outstanding contributions to basic science, translational, or clinical research in ovarian cancer. Nominees should have a track record of achievement in the field of ovarian cancer research, as demonstrated by significant contributions to the care of women with gynecologic cancer and to the literature in the field, as well as having obtained significant extramural research funding. The prize rewards past achievement and provides further incentive for an outstanding scientist to continue to do exceptional research into the causes, prevention, and treatment of ovarian cancer.

Nominees must hold an MD, PhD, or ScD degree, and must hold an academic appointment at a non-profit medical or research institution.
: The prize recipient will receive a one-time payment of $10,000. This prize is given to the individual and not their institution.
: The prize is selected by a committee composed of members of OCRA’s Scientific Advisory Committee. Prize winners will be notified in December.
: Nominations can be made by members of the ovarian cancer research community. International nominees are welcomed. To nominate someone for this prize, please submit the following via the online nomination page. Nominations are due by 5:00 PM ET on October 9, 2024.

Your contact information.
The Nominee’s contact information.

Letter of nomination (1,500 words or less). In the letter, please describe the Nominee’s achievements in the field of ovarian cancer research.

CV for the Nominee.

Nominations are due by 5:00 PM ET on October 9, 2024.

Submit Nomination

For inquiries or further information, please contact us at grants@ocrahope.org.

Liz Tilberis Research Prize for Outstanding Early Career Investigators

The Liz Tilberis Prize for Outstanding Early Career Investigators is named in honor of Liz Tilberis, the dynamic editor-in-chief of Harper’s Bazaar who battled ovarian cancer for six years and served as President of OCRA’s Board of Directors. The $5,000 biennial prize is awarded to an individual who can best demonstrate that he or she has used prior OCRA funding to impact the field of ovarian cancer research by obtaining independent extramural funding and making important contributions to the literature.

Current Winner: Pradeep Chaluvally-Raghavan, MSc, PhD

Pradeep Chaluvally-Raghavan, MSc, PhD, is an Associate Professor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the Medical College of Wisconsin. He received OCRA’s Ann Schreiber Mentored Investigator Grant in 2013 for his project, “Role of microRNAs in the 3q26 Amplicon in Ovarian Cancer Pathophysiology and Therapy,” and OCRA’s Liz Tilberis Career Development Award in 2016 for his project, “Unexpected Role of CLDN11 cdRNA in Ovarian Cancer.”

: 2020 – Sarah Adams, MD

2018 – Selvendiran Karuppaiyah, PhD

2016 – Rugang Zhang, PhD

Nomination Guidelines & FAQs

Please read our guidelines below before submitting a nomination. Nominations are due by 5:00 PM ET on October 9, 2024.

: The Liz Tilberis Research Prize for Outstanding Early Career Investigators is a $5,000 biennial prize awarded to an individual who can best demonstrate that they have used prior OCRA funding to impact the field of ovarian cancer research by obtaining independent extramural funding and making important contributions to the literature. The presentation of the prize is intended to stimulate the career of the investigator and further the field of ovarian cancer research. This prize is awarded to the individual and not their institution.

Only past recipients of OCRA’s Liz Tilberis Early Career Award/Early Career Investigator Grant qualify for this prize. Applicants must have completed their grant within the past five years (2019-2024) to be eligible to apply for this prize.
: The prize recipient will receive a one-time payment of $5,000. This prize is given to the individual and not their institution.
: The prize is selected by a committee composed of members of OCRA’s Scientific Advisory Committee. Prize winners will be notified in December.
: Nominations should come from the researchers themselves. To apply, please submit the following via the online form (note, the form is not yet available for 2024 nominations):

Your contact information.

Letter of nomination (1,500 words or less). In the letter, please describe your achievements in the field of ovarian cancer research. Specifically address the accomplishments of your OCRA Liz Tilberis Early Career Award/Early Career Investigator Grant, and how the grant impacted your career.

Your CV.

Nominations for this prize are open in even years and eligible candidates will receive a direct email from grants@ocrahope.org.

For inquiries or further information, please contact us at grants@ocrahope.org.

Schreiber Research Prize for Outstanding Mentored Investigators

The Schreiber Research Prize for Outstanding Mentored Investigators is named in honor of Ann and Sol Schreiber. Ann’s battle with ovarian cancer inspired her husband to start the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund (now OCRA) in 1994. Sol served as Board chair for many years. This $5,000 biennial prize is awarded to a junior researcher who can best demonstrate that they have been able to use prior OCRA funding to impact the field of ovarian cancer research by making either a significant discovery or an important contribution to the literature, or by transitioning to a full-time faculty position.

Current Winner: Priyanka Verma, PhD

Dr. Priyanka Verma is an Assistant Professor of Medicine at Washington University in St. Louis. Her OCRA funded postdoctoral research with Dr. Roger Greenberg uncovered a new therapeutic target for the regimen of BRCA-mutant cancers. Research in her independent lab integrates several cutting-edge genomics and molecular biology tools to study DNA replication and repair mechanisms with a goal to develop innovative strategies to prevent, diagnose and treat high-grade serous ovarian cancers. She has received multiple accolades which includes a V-Scholar award, an early career investigator from OCRA and the Department of Defense.

: 2021 – Marion Curtis, PhD

2019 – Ryan M. Williams, PhD

2017 – Juan Cubillos-Ruiz, PhD

2016 – Anirban Mitra, PhD

Nomination Guidelines & FAQs

Please read the below guidelines before submitting a nomination. This prize is not open this year.

: The Schreiber Research Prize for Outstanding Mentored Investigators is a $5,000 biennial prize awarded to a junior researcher who can best demonstrate that they have been able to use prior OCRA funding to impact the field of ovarian cancer research making either a significant discovery or an important contribution to the literature, or by transitioning to a full-time faculty position. This prize is awarded to the individual and not their institution.

Only past grantees of OCRA’s Mentored Investigator Grant (MIG) formerly known as the Ann and Sol Schreiber Mentored Investigator Award qualify for this prize. Nominees must have completed their MIG within the past five years to be eligible to apply for this prize.
: The prize recipient will receive a one-time payment of $5,000. This prize is given to the individual and not their institution.
: The prize is selected by a committee composed of members of OCRA’s Scientific Advisory Committee. Prize winners will be notified in December.
: Nominations should come from the researchers themselves. To apply, please submit the following via the online nomination form

Your contact information.

Letter of nomination (1,500 words or less). In the letter, please describe your achievements in the field of ovarian cancer research. Specifically address the accomplishments of your OCRA Ann Schreiber Mentored Investigator Award/Mentored Investigator Grant, and how the grant impacted your career.

Your CV.

For inquiries or further information, please contact us at grants@ocrahope.org.