Publication Excellence Awards

Overview

Through the Publication Excellence Awards, the Foundation recognizes early career investigators who have recently published results of exceptional research that is accelerating innovation in radiation therapy and has the potential to powerfully transform outcomes for patients. Nominations of clinical, biology, and physics research from investigators in academia, community practice, and other practice settings are encouraged.

The Foundation honors up to three Publication Excellence Award winners annually with a $1,500 cash award, a signature glass trophy presented at the ASTRO Annual Meeting, and recognition across multiple communications channels.

The Foundation is thrilled to partner again with the Association of Residents in Radiation Oncology (ARRO) on their Health Care Access Publication Award. Manuscripts can be nominated for one or both awards in a joint application process. An individual can win only one publication award each year. See the ARRO website for more information about the Health Care Access Publication Award.

• Award Amount: $1,500*
• Deadline: July 7, 2026 at 5:00 p.m. Eastern
• Award Notification: Early September 2026
• Award Presentation: September 28, 2026 at the ASTRO Annual Meeting

Eligibility

The nominee must be:

• Named either first or last in the list of authors of the manuscript. 
• A resident, clinical fellow, postdoctoral fellow, or physician, physicist, research faculty, dosimetrist, radiation therapist, nurse, or other allied health professional that works in radiation oncology and is within eight years of completing their terminal training program when the manuscript was published.

The work authored by the nominee:

• Must be a single manuscript about an innovative breakthrough in radiation therapy that clearly demonstrates potential to transform patient outcomes.
• Must have been published in a peer-reviewed journal and first made publicly available by the journal between July 1, 2025 and June 30, 2026.
• Can use either qualitative or quantitative techniques to present, analyze and comment on new data, or to synthesize and analyze data that were previously collected.

An individual can be nominated for a maximum of two manuscripts per year. Each article must be nominated separately.

How to Apply

• Complete the online nomination form by July 7, 2026 at 5:00 p.m. Eastern on ProposalCentral.
• Nominations must include a copy of the article.
• Self-nominations are accepted. 
• A brief statement (up to one page) supporting the nomination is required. The statement:
  1. Must describe the impact that the research findings will have on the field of radiation oncology as a whole. 
  2. Must clearly state how the research published in the manuscript is accelerating innovation in radiation therapy and has the potential to powerfully transform outcomes for patients.
  3. Can reference work in the same line of inquiry as the nominated manuscript and list related articles.
• One letter of support can be submitted in addition to the nominator’s statement.  

* This award will be paid directly to the winner. The award is considered taxable income and winners will be issued a 1099.