The SITC Sparkathon – Emerging Leaders, Igniting Innovation is an exciting opportunity for 29 early career scientists seeking to advance their career and the cancer immunotherapy field in 2017-18.

Launching in August 2017 during a two-day retreat in Chicago, the SITC Sparkathon will bring together the 29 young investigators to collaboratively explore and solve major issues facing the field during the ensuing year.

The participants, who provide a large swathe of expertise representing numerous academic and medical institutions, will present their findings during the 33^rd Annual Meeting & Pre-Conference Programs in November 2018.

NEW: The 2018 Cohort of the SITC Sparkathon has been announced! Click here to view the complete list of young investigators who will be participating in the inaugural class.

SITC Sparkathon Program Overview

A group of 29 emerging leaders will be selected through an application process to meet for a two-day retreat in a “Technology Hackathon” meets “Shark Tank” format to explore the hurdles and challenges facing the field of cancer immunotherapy with the goal of identifying projects that provide a solution to one or more of the identified hurdles.

The emerging leaders will develop project proposals with guidance from renowned business experts over the two-day period. A panel of judges will award the most promising project(s) $175,000, which the participants will use to implement the project(s) during the following 12-18 months, culminating in a presentation at the society’s 33^rd Annual Meeting, Nov. 9 – 11, 2018.

Projects must be collaborative by design throughout implementation. Sample projects may include high-risk (non-preliminary data) projects, methods exchange, whitepapers, business plans, educational and media tools. The 29 participants will emerge as a unique cohort, a dynamic network of young cancer immunotherapy professionals formed to further individual professional development and foster collaborations across institutions and work settings.

Project Implementation

Following the retreat, the cohort will formulate a detailed execution plan including budgets and timelines. The group will be provided with resources of up to $175,000 for project(s) development and implementation. An online communication and project management platform will be provided to further the development of plans on an ongoing basis and foster continued relationship development among the group. The collaborative interface platform will bring like-minded people together in a secure community designed to enable relevant and purposeful interactions, ignite knowledge sharing, drive content creation and improve performance.

The cohort will have approximately 12-18 months to execute project plans. Project outcomes will be considered for publication in the Journal of ImmunoTherapy of Cancer (JITC) and for presentation at the society’s 33^rd Annual Meeting, to be held Nov. 9 – 11, 2018 at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, District of Columbia.



SITC's Sparkathon is supported in part by an anonymous donor, Amgen, and AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP.