Inaugural Tony Burgess Medal

Professor Tony Burgess AC FAA FTSE was one of Australia’s top cancer researchers, former Director of the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research in Melbourne, Professor of Surgery at the Royal Melbourne Hospital, University of Melbourne and Laboratory Head at WEHI.  Professor Burgess was also a strong force in the advancement of cancer management and research, having been involved in at least thirty scientific committees, boards and funds.

Applications now closed

The Address - 8 September 2022

The Tony Burgess Medal has been established to honour the significant contribution of Professor Burgess as a founding member of the VCCC Board, including the visionary role he played in bringing the integrated model of cancer care to Victoria to establish the Victorian Comprehensive Cancer Centre.

This is a competitive opportunity: the successful recipient will deliver a 40 – 60-minute plenary address on 8 September, the eve of the VCCC Alliance Postdoctoral Symposium. The successful recipient will also be awarded a $5000 prize.

The prize is available to early- to mid-stage career researchers, including laboratory group leaders (5 – 15 years post PhD, or equivalent as per the Australian Qualifications Framework Level 10 descriptor), who are currently working within a VCCC Alliance member organisation, or partner¹.

The plenary address will showcase the successful applicant’s innovative program of cancer-focused research, highlighting collaboration as a key priority.

What will be assessed?

When awarding the prize, the selection committee will consider the strength of the entire application including the CV and assessment criteria. Download the application guidelines.

Potential Impact: Innovation, Creativity and Significance ~35%

• Does the program of work showcase innovative information, or present a new area of work?
• Is the work original?
• Is the application written clearly and organized well?
• Is the significance of the work clearly stated?
• Is there clear potential for translation?

Collaborative Approach: Alignment with VCCC Alliance priority of collaboration ~30%

• Is the program of work cancer-focused?
• Does the program of work demonstrate a collaborative, integrated and comprehensive approach?
• Does the program of work involve local, national or international collaborators?
• Does the program of work identify synergies and leverage existing strengths across Alliance member organisations?

National and International Recognition: Including research quality and capability ~20%

• Does the program of work have clearly stated aim(s) and outcome(s)?
• Are the methods well-designed/appropriate to the question(s) addressed, and interim conclusions justified in relation to the data and/or analyses/description?
• Strength of the applicant's CV (relative to opportunity) including publications

Inclusion: Including alignment with VCCC Alliance values of “for all” and “patient-centred” ~15%

• Has the program of work involved consumers?
• Does the program of work pursue equitable access to cancer care and outcomes?

Eligibility requirements

• Must be an early- to mid-career researcher, including laboratory group leaders (5 – 15 years post PhD, or equivalent as per the Australian Qualifications Framework Level 10 descriptor) with a VCCC Alliance member or partner¹.

The committee will only consider applicants who:

• satisfy all of the eligibility requirements noted above, and
• submit a complete application by the closing date - 11.59pm (AEST) Thursday 21 July 2022.
• retrospective applications will not be considered

Application

The complete application will consist of the following:

1. Completed application form
2. Curriculum Vitae

• Should include the following sections: 1-page maximum, with current and prior positions (last 5 years), positions of responsibility (last 5 years), top ten publications (last 10 years) and a 100-word statement of impact of the applicant’s research or work.

For queries please contact [email protected].

Background

Professor Tony Burgess AC FAA FTSE was one of Australia’s top cancer researchers, former Director of the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research in Melbourne, Professor of Surgery at the Royal Melbourne Hospital, University of Melbourne and Laboratory Head at WEHI. He has an illustrious research history with over 300 publications to his name and has given numerous keynote speeches at Institutes and conferences around the world. He discovered the haemopoietic growth factor G-CSF and was part of the team which cloned murine GM-CSF. Much of his research involved the study of epithelial cancers and he was a leader of the team which solved the 3D structures of the EGFR and HER2 extra-cellular domains.

Professor Burgess was also a strong force in the advancement of cancer management and research, having been involved in at least thirty scientific committees, boards and funds. In 1998 he was appointed a Companion of General Division of the Order of Australia (AC) for his outstanding services to science and medicine, especially in the field of cancer research.

¹VCCC Alliance members: The Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, The Royal Melbourne Hospital, University of Melbourne, The Royal Women’s Hospital, The Royal Children’s Hospital, Western Health, St Vincent’s Hospital, Austin Health, The Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research 

VCCC Alliance partners: The Olivia Newton-John Cancer Research Institute, St Vincent’s Institute