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Massey Cancer Center membership policies and procedures
- Description
- Massey membership categories
- Member
- Associate member
- Affiliate member
- Privileges of membership
- Membership application procedures
- Research program assignments
- Responsibilities of member
- Requirements of ongoing membership
Description
Membership in the Massey Cancer Center is open to research investigators, clinicians, cancer survivors, patient advocates and community leaders engaged in and/or supportive of cancer-related research. Membership eligibility and privileges are defined by a candidate’s level of current cancer-related research activity. Applications for MCC membership are sent to potential candidates following a nomination by a current member, an invitation extended by the director or a request by an individual candidate to be considered for membership. Research activities of the membership are organized into specific programmatic research areas. Approved members may be considered for affiliation in peer-reviewed and/or emerging research programs by the appropriate program leader(s), depending upon the candidate’s research interests and achievements.
Massey membership categories
There are three categories of membership in MMC: member, associate member and affiliate member.
Member
Members are full-time faculty who participate in cancer research activities and make contributions to the mission of the center through their cancer-related, peer-review funded research programs. Such contributions are exemplified by sustained cancer-related research productivity, and promotion of and participation in interdisciplinary and collaborative cancer research. The research programs of members make significant use of and benefit from the center’s shared resource core lab infrastructure.
Associate member
Associate members are full-time faculty who fit into a variety of categories that include emerging scientists who are developing cancer-related research or collaborations, clinicians primarily involved in cancer patient care activities that are linked in some way to research and faculty who may play key roles in ongoing advisory or consulting activities.
Affiliate member
Other individuals able to make contributions to the mission of the cancer center may be appointed as affiliate members, and they are considered on a case-by-case basis. These may include faculty, professional staff and others who do not fit into either of the above categories.
Privileges of membership
All levels of membership in the MCC receive official publications, notices of specific funding opportunities, announcements of cancer center-sponsored symposia and seminars and other appropriate center activities. Members and associate members are also eligible for membership in the MCC research programs, participation in cancer center retreats, access to MCC shared resources at special or discounted cancer center member rates (as applicable) and submission of requests for pilot project support. Affiliate members may, on occasion, participate in cancer center retreats by invitation. The eligibility of each membership category for specific privileges is summarized in Table 1.
Table 1. Eligibility for membership benefits
Membership type |
Member | Associate member | Affiliate member |
| MCC publications and announcements |
X | X | X |
| Research program membership | X | X | |
| Support for defined leadership roles | X | ||
| Cancer center retreats | X | X (By invitation only) |
X (By invitation only) |
| Shared resources (at member rates) |
X | X | |
| Eligibility for MCC space | X | X (on a limited basis) | |
| Project eligibility |
X | X |
Membership application procedures
Application materials may be requested from the MCC administrative office or downloaded from the MCC Web site. If a candidate’s name is submitted to the administrative office by an MCC member, a letter of invitation is sent to the candidate. The letter may be modified to indicate the name of the individual who nominated the candidate for membership as well as the type of membership available to the candidate. Attachments to letters of invitation to applicants include the application form and a copy of the membership policy.
Applicants are instructed to complete the application and return it to the MCC administrative office as soon as possible to allow a preliminary review for completeness and processing. An application for membership in the MCC indicates the applicant’s agreement to abide by the MCC membership requirements (see “Requirements of ongoing membership,” below).
Membership applications that are properly completed are then assessed for the applicant’s compliance with federal regulations and requirements. The MCC administrative office will conduct a search for all member candidates through the following four Web sites of the federal agencies that list administrative actions, restrictions and disbarments:
Office of Regulatory Affairs Compliance References/Disbarment List (FDA)
PHS Administrative Actions Listing (ORI)
Office of Inspector General List of Excluded Individuals/Entities (OIG, DHHS)
Research program assignments
Following the membership application reviews, all approved members and associate members will be considered for assignment to the established and developing research programs of the cancer center. Program leaders will select approved members and associate members to participate in their research programs based on the member’s research interests and activities.
New members and associate members may be assigned to more than one research program, but no more than three programs. Members and associate members considered for multiple program membership should be selected to optimally promote interprogrammatic collaborations. A member or associate member not assigned to a research program will be designated as an “unaligned member” in Cancer Center Support Grant reports and related publications. Unaligned members may request consideration for specific program membership at any time from individual program leaders, with subsequent notification to the MCC administrative office upon approval of these individual requests.
Following approval of a candidate’s membership and assignment to the appropriate research program(s), if any, the MCC membership database is updated to include the new member’s name, contact information, program membership and other data related to their MCC activities. Letters are then generated by the administrative office to inform the new member of the approval of their application and the research programs to which they have been assigned, if applicable. A copy of the member’s approval letter is also sent to the program leader(s) to document the addition of the new member to their program roster.
Responsibilities of member
- Work with other cancer center members to develop programmatic and interdisciplinary research and clinical services.
- Participate in cancer center planning through regular program meetings and retreats.
- Participate in private fundraising efforts for the cancer center.
- Acknowledge the Massey Cancer Center in cancer-related publications and presentations.
- Participate in the application process for Cancer Center Support Grant funding.
Requirements of ongoing membership
- All member scientists are required to submit information periodically concerning approved or submitted grant applications for cancer-related research funding or research training projects, publications and other MCC-related activities. This information is included in grant applications that support the MCC and other official publications of Massey.
- All members are required to acknowledge membership in the MCC, the use of cancer center space, shared resources and other assistance from the NCI Cancer Center Support Grant, as appropriate, in their research publications.
- All members are required to submit proposed clinical or prevention and control cancer research protocols in which they are the principal or co-principal investigators to the cancer center for review by the MCC Protocol Review and Monitoring System (PRMS). Evidence of IRB approval should also be submitted. Members will be required to submit information periodically concerning accrual, amendments and toxicities related to the approved protocols.
- Members and associate members are appointed to the MCC for a one-year term. Their continued participation in the MCC is reviewed at least annually by the program leaders.
- Members declining to continue as active members are deleted from the MCC active roster.
- Associate members who submit documentation of eligible grant, protocol or publication activities may be presented for consideration as members at this time, if not previously requested.
- Members who do not have evidence of productive cancer-related research activities are assessed by the appropriate program leaders (for aligned members) or Senior Advisory Committee (for unaligned members) to determine whether they should remain as active MCC members, be moved to a lower level of membership or be deleted from the roster.
- Recommendations concerning continued membership status, change in membership status or inactivation are made to the MCC director by the program leaders or Senior Advisory Committee, as appropriate.
