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Definition of Research Areas

The American Cancer Society classifies the research and training grants into Areas of Research, a common language developed as a partner with the International Cancer Research Partnership (ICRP). The Common Scientific Outline or 'CSO', is a classification system organized around seven broad areas of scientific interest in cancer research:

  • Biology
  • Etiology (causes of cancer)
  • Prevention
  • Early Detection, Diagnosis, and Prognosis
  • Treatment
  • Cancer Control, Survivorship, and Outcomes Research
  • Scientific Model Systems

The Current Investment by Areas of Research shows the American Cancer Society research investment for a specific year. The Areas of Research classification is complemented by a standard coding scheme for types of cancer.

Together, the ICRP tools lay a framework to improve coordination among research organizations, making it possible to compare and contrast the research portfolios of public, non-profit, and governmental research agencies.

Information about the International Cancer Research Partnership (ICRP) is provided on their website. On the ICRP website are the detailed definitions of the Areas of Research [or the Common Scientific Outline (CSO)]. You can use the online database to search the ICRP grants by type of cancer and other criteria.