The Sceales Antrobus Cancer Research Trust has, over the last 24 years, endeavoured to enhance research and training in the field of Breast Cancer in South Africa. It currently does so in two ways:
1. Administering an award for the Best Presentation in the Field of Breast Cancer at the Surgical Research Society Annual Meeting
2. Collaborating with international experts in the field of Breast Cancer Research by assisting in bringing them to South Africa to share their knowledge and assist with training of South African clinicians, in the form of a Distinguished Guest Presentation Award.
Both of these Awards have met with success and appreciation on the part of South African scientists in the field.
We are excited to announce a new focus for the Trust: The Philip Sceales and Janet Antrobus Postgraduate Research Funding Award.
In January 2010, the Medical Subcommittee for Postgraduate Education and Training of the HPCSA published new requirements for specialist registration in SA. In addition to the exit examination, postgraduate trainees became required to submit a research component, under the care of their Head of Department. (Aldous CM, Adhikari M, Rout CC. The research component of specialist registration – a question of alligators and swamps? A personal view S Afr Med J 2015;105(1):21-22. DOI:10.7196/SAMJ.8732 )
This presents a unique opportunity for the Trust with regards to its mission of ‘encouraging and enhancing post-graduate research’.
The Trust would like to encourage postgraduates to consider Breast Cancer as a potential field for research. In addition, the Trust would like to promote the concept of POEM (patient orientated evidence that matters). POEM refers to research that fulfils 3 criteria:
They address a question that doctors encounter
They measure outcomes that patients and their doctors care about: symptoms, quality of life, morbidity and mortality
They have the potential to change the way that doctors practise.
This will be awarded to a Postgraduate or PhD student from any University in South Africa.
The research must be based in South Africa, and relevant to South African patients.
The research proposal must be submitted electronically (in PDF format) to the Trust via the website before the 30/09/2018, using the appended application form
The successful project(s) must involve POEM research in the field of Breast Cancer.
In accepting the award, the Awardee agrees to publish their research in a journal, which is on the Department of Higher Education and Training list of accredited journals. The award money can be used towards this end.
The Awardee must have an arrangement with their Department to have the funds paid into a Departmental account and administered via a supervisor within the department.
Applications will be opening from 1 June 2019. Please complete the application form below and submit to: [email protected]. Successful candidates will be notified, via email, by 30 November 2019.