Recognizing Outstanding Contributions to the Canadian Cancer Research Community 
The CCRA Awards, initiated in 2011, recognize and celebrate on a biennial basis the outstanding contributions of individuals who have had a remarkable impact on cancer research and the cancer research community.
There are four award categories as follows:
Philip E. Branton Award for Exceptional Leadership in Cancer Research
Awarded to an individual whose work has had a transformative impact on the cancer research landscape in Canada in one or more of the following ways:
- provided leadership/strategic direction to strengthen cancer research across the continuum
- reduced systemic discrimination within the research enterprise
- facilitated collaborative research opportunities and initiatives (multi-sectoral, multi-jurisdictional)
- built researcher capacity and strengthened career paths for early career investigators
- worked to diversify the cancer researcher workforce
- supported/strengthened key infrastructure for cancer research
Outstanding Achievements in Cancer Research
Awarded to a cancer researcher whose impactful and paradigm-shifting research—fundamental, translational, clinical, and/or applied—has achieved one or more of the following:
- greatly advanced our understanding of cancer through excellence in biomedical, clinical, health services, or population health research
- designed, improved and/or accelerated the adoption of new methodological, statistical, technical, technological, and/or other research approaches
- demonstrated impact to prevent cancer, improve cancer outcomes, and/or reduce cancer-related morbidity
- enhanced cancer care delivery/systems
- addressed health disparities through study design, participant recruitment, data reporting, and/or other approaches
Distinguished Service to Cancer Research
Awarded to an individual whose work has elevated the profile of cancer research and control in one or more of the following ways:
- advanced public discourse, education, and/or policy on cancer control and/or cancer research within Canada and/or internationally
- facilitated science literacy and helped dispel misinformation/disinformation and/or misinterpretation of research on cancer prevention, treatment, cancer survivorship, and supportive and end-of-life care
- promoted research-informed best practice cancer control
- helped raise the importance of a cancer system that addresses the needs of diverse populations within a province or territory, across Canada, and/or internationally
- developed/promoted culturally grounded approaches to knowledge translation
Exceptional Leadership in Patient Involvement in Cancer Research
Awarded to an individual who has demonstrated and contributed to advancing patient* involvement in cancer research in one or more of the following ways:
- helped raise the profile of patient partners within the cancer research enterprise through advocacy efforts and/or network involvement
- contributed to the knowledge base of patient engagement in research
- helped embed patient engagement throughout the cancer research process through resource development and/or education
- built capacity for patient-oriented research among cancer researchers and/or patient partners
- developed strategies to ensure those with lived and living experience engaged in cancer research are representative of a wide range of people across Canada
*As per CIHR, patient is “an overarching term inclusive of individuals with personal experience of a health issue and informal caregivers, including family and friends.”
Nominations and Adjudication Process
The 2025 nomination form can be downloaded here.
The timeline for the 2025 awards cycle is as follows:
- December 12, 2024 – Call for nominations
- February 13, 2025 – Nominations due
- March 17, 2025 – Nominations adjudicated
- March 26, 2025 – Results vetted by CCRA Board
- April 1, 2025 – Awardees notified/confirmed
- April-June 2025 – Integration of awardees within Canadian Cancer Research Conference
- June-October 2025 – Communications planning with awardees’ organizations/institutions and implementation
- October 27, 2025 – Awardees formally announced
- November 2, 2023 – Awards presented during 2025 CCRC Opening Ceremony
Learn more about previous CCRA Awards recipients: