Early-Career Opportunities

The IASLC offers many opportunities and resources for education, training, career development, research, and networking.
IASLC's Early Career Opportunities

Supporting our early-career members has always been, and will continue to be, a foundational principle of the IASLC. We offer many opportunities and resources for education, training, career development, research, and networking. Many past IASLC early-career members are now principal investigators on research projects and clinical trials, key opinion leaders, and directors of the IASLC board.

We welcome you to explore our programs below and participate when applicable.

IASLC International Mentorship Program

International Mentorship Program

The IASLC International Mentorship Program is a time-honored professional development program dedicated to the principles of education, mentorship, and collaboration for early-career thoracic malignancies-focused physicians and researchers from economically developing countries globally. The IASLC International Mentorship Program is an initiative designed to develop today’s young investigators into tomorrow’s thoracic oncology leaders. Each year’s participants are assigned well-established mentors who live and work in the region where the IASLC’s annual World Conference on Lung Cancer (WCLC) is taking place. Mentees meet their mentors on-site at the conference and then following the WCLC, they travel to their mentor’s institution for a week to learn from the mentor and meet, interact, and share ideas with other multidisciplinary cancer care and research teams there.

IASLC Academy 2023

IASLC Academy

Few things are as integral to the IASLC’s mission as helping support early-career physicians and researchers, which is why the IASLC Academy is one of the association’s most important WCLC-affiliated programs. Taught by a multidisciplinary group of prominent leaders in the field, participants in the program receive mentoring to complete a project and explore topics related to career development and research. The applications for 2024 are now closed. Applications for 2025 will open in the Fall of 2024.

JTO-CRR_Hero-0820 - Cropped.jpg

IASLC Reviewer Workshop

Join the IASLC Reviewer Workshop this year at WCLC 2024! IASLC early and mid-career members, within 15 years of completing their specialist training, with a good command of the English language. Applicants who are currently on the reviewer panel of the JTO or JTO CRR are particularly encouraged to apply.

World Conference on Lung Cancer Education Awards

The IASLC offers a variety of education awards to help researchers from around the world to participate in the IASLC 2024 World Conference on Lung Cancer (WCLC 2024). Award winners are determined by an international, multidisciplinary review committee composed of IASLC members.

Early-Career Education Awards

The Early Career Education Awards are available for fellows, students, trainees, or post-doctoral researchers with a professional degree within three years of initial faculty appointment. This award provides the opportunity for presenters of high-rated abstracts to grow professionally by attending educational sessions, networking, and developing professional relationships with colleagues from around the world.

Eligibility for Criteria for Early-Career Awards:

  • Fellow, student, trainee, or a post-doctoral researcher with a professional degree within three years of initial faculty appointment (e.g., you must be appointed to faculty after September 8, 2021)  
  • Submit (as presenter) and have accepted an abstract for WCLC  
  • You must certify/agree that you do not already have funding from another source (employer, etc.)  

Developing Nations Education Awards

The Developing Nation Education Awards are available for trainees and residents of countries listed on the IASLC Membership Guidelines webpage*. This award provides the opportunity for presenters of high-rated abstracts from developing nations to grow professionally by attending educational sessions, networking, and developing professional relationships with colleagues from around the world. 

Eligibility Criteria for Developing Nation Education Awards:
  • Reside in a Developing Nation* 
  • Submit (as presenter) and have accepted an abstract for WCLC.  

View the Developing Nations List here

Nurse or Allied Health Professional Education Awards  

The Nurse or Allied Health Professional awards consist of up to five awards offered in two categories: Early Career and Developing Nations. The number of awards in each category will be approximately equal to the final numbers determined by the quality of applications received. The awards provide opportunities for Nurse and Allied Health presenters of high-rated abstracts to grow professionally by attending educational sessions, networking, and developing professional relationships with colleagues from around the world. 

Eligibility Criteria for Nurse or Allied Health Professional Awards:

  • Submit (as presenter) and have accepted an abstract for WCLC 
  • Professional role in Nursing or Allied Health (see list below) 
  • For Early Career Applicants: Within three years of initial faculty appointment or within three years of completing training in a nursing or allied health professional setting (For example, the candidate must be appointed to faculty or have accepted placement no later than September 8, 2021).

Patient Advocacy Awards  

The IASLC Patient Advocate Educational Awards provide an opportunity for patients/survivors, carers/caregivers, and patient advocates to be a part of IASLC’s most anticipated global conference: the IASLC World Conference on Lung Cancer (WCLC). The number of educational awards shall be limited to a maximum of five. Fewer than the maximum amount may be awarded, depending on interest, qualifications of the applicants, and the review process. Special consideration will be given to applicants who have never been awarded a WCLC Patient Advocate Educational Award (formerly the WCLC Patient Advocate Travel Award). If you have previously won this award, we strongly encourage you to apply to participate in the IASLC STARS Program. 

Eligibility Criteria for the Patient Advocate Education Awards:

  • Applicants must be individual patients/survivors with a lung cancer diagnosis, carers/caregivers of a loved one with a lung cancer diagnosis, or professional patient advocates who work for a non-profit organization focused on lung cancer.  
  • The individual applying must be a current member of the IASLC for 2024 (visit www.iaslc.org/membership) to join. 
  • The applicant must have demonstrated commitment and experience in lung cancer patient advocacy.  
  • For organizations applying, you must nominate ONLY ONE individual to represent the organization; multiple applications from individuals from the same organization will not be considered.  

Early Career In Tobacco Control And Smoking Cessation Award

The Early Career in Tobacco Control and Smoking Cessation Awards are available for fellows, students, trainees, or post-doctoral researchers with a professional degree within three years of initial faculty appointment. This award provides the opportunity for presenters of high-rated abstracts to grow professionally by attending educational sessions, networking, and developing professional relationships with colleagues from around the world.  

Eligibility Criteria for Early Career In Tobacco Control And Smoking Cessation Award

  • Fellow, student, trainee or a post-doctoral researcher with a professional degree within three years of initial faculty appointment (e.g., you must be appointed to faculty after September 8, 2021)  
  • Submit (as presenter) and have accepted an abstract for WCLC  
  • You must certify/agree that you do not already have funding from another source (employer, etc.)

Developing Nation in Tobacco Control Award

The Developing Nation in Tobacco Control and Smoking Cessation Awards are available for trainees and residents of nations listed on the IASLC Membership Guidelines webpage*. The individual must submit a high-quality abstract addressing epidemiological data from their country or have undertaken educational or policy development activities aimed at tobacco control. 

Eligibility Criteria for Developing Nation in Tobacco Control Award:

  • Reside in a Developing Nation* 
  • Fellow, student, trainee, or a post-doctoral researcher with a professional degree within three years of initial faculty appointment (e.g., you must be appointed to faculty after September 8, 2021) 
  • Submit (as presenter) and have accepted an abstract for WCLC. 
  • You must certify/agree that you do not already have funding from another source (employer, etc.)  

View Developing Nations List Here

Grants and Fellowships

Locating and securing funding can be challenging. The International Lung Cancer Foundation provides numerous opportunities for early-career researchers to chase their dreams.