SAKK/Roche Young Investigator Award

The SAKK/Roche Young Investigator Award aims to promote and support talented young professionals in oncology with innovative ideas and clinical research projects that enhance our understanding of the field and address emerging challenges in cancer care.

The award is endowed with CHF 30,000 and aims to promote innovation and excellence in advancing cancer therapies. Additionally, it seeks to support collaboration among emerging leaders in this field.

Eligible Candidates

With this grant, we offer a funding program for young investigators and their efforts in clinical oncology research. The aim is to honor and support young professionals on this important journey. The eligible Candidates are:

a medical doctor or researcher from the SAKK network
whose project is performed mainly in Switzerland
≤40 years of age as of December 31st, 2025 (may be waived if e.g. candidate has changed career)

Scope

The primary focus of the award is on projects with the potential to make significant improvements in patient management and outcomes in cancer treatment in the following indications: lung, breast, gastrointestinal, hematological cancers or pan tumor.

Applications

Applications must be written in English and contain the following information:

Project proposal (see Eligible Projects) max. 5 pages including the rationale, methodology, feasibility, budget and potential impact
Curriculum vitae of the candidate
Letter of support from the respective head of the candidate’s current institution, incl. guarantee to provide sufficient research time for the project
Publication list of the candidate
- Publications may be primary research or review articles
- The candidate must be an author in all publications
- Publications must have been published in the period 2015-2025 in a peer-reviewed journal or must be accepted for publication in a peer-reviewed journal
If applicable, any other relevant information or documentation