Awards and Recognition

The SITC awards program is an opportunity for members to recognize their colleagues who have shown outstanding achievement in their field, and for young investigators to showcase their research by applying for fellowships and travel awards. Many awards are supported by SITC’s Forward Fund, which stimulates the future of science, development and application of cancer immunology and immunotherapy through financially supporting its education and research.

Make Your 2024 Award Nominations

2023 Annual Awardees

Elizabeth M. Jaffee

2024 Richard V. Smalley Memorial Award

Elizabeth M. Jaffee, MD, FAIO, FAACR, FACP, FAAAS
Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins

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Robert D. Schreiber, PhD

2023 Richard V. Smalley Memorial Award

Robert D. Schreiber, PhD, FAIO
Washington University School of Medicine

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Margolin

2023 Lifetime Achievement Award

Kim A. Margolin, MD 
Saint John's Cancer Institute

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Founders of Stand Up To Cancer

2023 Tara Withington Public Service Award

Founders of Stand Up To Cancer
(Top L-R) Katie Couric, Sherry Lansing, Kathleen Lobb, Lisa Paulsen, Rusty Robertson, Sue Schwartz, Pamela Oas Williams, and Ellen Ziffren, in addition to the late Noreen Fraser and the late Laura Ziskin

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Jeffrey S. Weber, MD, PhD

2023 Pedro J. Romero Service to JITC Award

Jeffrey S. Weber, MD, PhD 
Laura and Isaac Perlmutter Cancer Center at NYU Langone Health

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FAIO

The Academy of Immuno-Oncology was established by SITC to honor individuals who have launched the field of cancer immunotherapy into the breakthrough cancer treatment it is today and bring together the brightest minds in the field to continue to advance SITC, the field, and the next generation of immuno-oncologists.

Young Investigator Awards

The Forward Fund is proud to financially support the Abstract Travel Awards and the Presidential Award.

Abstract Travel Awards

Created in 2007, the SITC Abstract Travel Award highlights promising young investigators who submitted high-scoring abstracts to the SITC Annual Meeting, based on the quality of their research and potential to advance the field.

Abstract Travel Awards

Established in 1991, the SITC Presidential Award is the most prestigious Young Investigator Award recognizing the young investigator deemed to have the most outstanding oral abstract presentation among those delivered in the Presidential Session of the SITC Annual Meeting.

Presidential Award

Presidential Award

Connect-a-Colleague Top Referrer

Launched in November 2015, the Connect-a-Colleague campaign is designed to encourage members to personally reach out and invite potential members to join the society. An online tool was created for members to refer multiple potential members at a time. New members are also encouraged to indicate SITC members who referred them for membership.

Connect-a-Colleague

World Immunotherapy Council

The World Immunotherapy Council—a collaborative group of more than 20 organizations from the U.S. and abroad with a shared interest in promoting research and translation of cancer immunotherapy—have selected the young investigators below to present during previous World Immunotherapy Council Young Investigators Symposium, part of SITC’s Annual Meeting & Pre-Conference Programs.

Special Awards

SITC's Anniversary Awards celebrate the achievements of current and future leaders in the cancer immunotherapy field. The work of these dedicated individuals that include young investigators, luminaries, leading organizations, regulatory agencies and industry seeks to propel the field forward and build a solid foundation for future advances and soon, a cure.


SITC Medal of honor

In 2021, SITC was humbled to present the inaugural SITC Medal of Honor to Uğur Şahin, MD and Özlem Türeci, MD for their efforts championing the development and distribution of the vaccine against COVID-19 using mRNA technology. SITC recognizes their incredible contributions to humanity and the countless lives saved.

SITC Medal of Honor


Team Science Award

In 2021, Dr. Sandra Demaria, Dr. Silvia Formenti and their team at Weill Cornell Medicine received this award for their work in the intersection of radiation oncology and immunotherapy. Drs. Demaria and Formenti are strong forces that embody the team science approach to scientific discovery, igniting collaborations and pushing the fields forward with every study. The award recognizes teams of scientists that have made a long-standing contribution in energy, activity and success to the field of cancer immunotherapy.

Team Science Award


Distinguished Service Award

In 2019, SITC recognized Dr. Martin “Mac” Cheever with the Distinguished Service Award for his work establishing and directing the Cancer Immunotherapy Trials Network (CITN). The CITN designs and conducts early-stage, multicenter clinical trials of promising immunotherapy agents. Without the CITN trials and Dr. Cheever’s leadership and vision, patients would not have access to these promising experimental drugs.

SITC Distinguished Service Award

Technology Awards

To promote growth and achievement amongst early career investigators in advancing their cancer immunotherapy research by leveraging spatial technology platforms, SITC offers annual SITC Technology Awards.