Scientific Advisory Committee

OCRA relies on a panel of experts — renowned doctors and researchers in the field of gynecologic oncology — to help determine the grants we fund. This esteemed team, known as OCRA’s Scientific Advisory Committee (SAC), reviews the hundreds of proposals we receive each year, selecting those with the most promise.

OCRA receives grant applications from institutions all over the world — from top ovarian cancer scientists with established discoveries, to up-and-coming investigators who are passionate about solving the mysteries of this disease.

From this wide range of proposals, our Scientific Advisory Committee identifies and recommends funding for the most exceptional projects, the ones they determine most likely to move the needle forward.

Each application is reviewed and evaluated based on what we know for certain based on prior research, what areas of study hold the most promise, and what projects are already underway elsewhere — because with funding so scarce, we need to ensure as much inquiry as possible.

This comprehensive, panoramic view is the key to OCRA’s success in producing significant results. And because we are not limited to one institution or project, whether by private industry or the government, we can fund the boldest, most innovative science, no matter where it comes from.

OCRA is committed to a fair and equitable grant-making process, taking great care to ensure there are no conflicting relationships between members of our SAC and projects up for review.

What questions does our SAC ask when evaluating grant proposals?
  • Is the research hypothesis valid? (Even with preliminary data, research that someone believes is groundbreaking isn’t always viable.)
  • Is a project duplicative of work already being done by other labs, perhaps even further along?
  • Has a hypothesis already been disproven?
  • Does the researcher have the resources to actually carry out the intended project?
  • Does a junior researcher have a mentor who can lend meaningful guidance to the project?
  • Given the other 199 applications, is this particular proposal one of the most important to fund?