The mission? To eradicate cancer as a major cause of death by increasing research for improving understanding of cancer biology and developping new effective cancer treatments such as targeted drug therapies.
Preceded by the launch of a federal government’s agency for conducting research and training on the cause, diagnosis and treatment of cancer during the great depression, the so-called “War on Cancer” was officially declared by President Nixon with the 1971 National Cancer Act, and has been followed in 2009 by the “Cancer Moonshot program” under the Obama-Biden administration.
The initiative’s governance, cantered on the National Cancer Institute (NCI), the role of different presidencies along its history, its sophisticated evaluation and monitoring systems as well as the structured dissemination and communication strategy, are all features that make this case of particular interest.
To learn more about this forward-looking initiative, which is also an inspiring example for future European R&I policies, please find the report below: