Supporting
research
By investing effectively every single Euro donated to AIRC and FIRC, we honor the trust placed into our Organizations by millions of people every day, and we ensure competitiveness and innovation in oncological research taking place in Italy.
In over fifty years of history, AIRC has refined the method by which the most deserving cancer research projects are selected. This merit-based, internationally recognized method, called peer review, relies on the expertise of international scientists, devoid of any conflict of interest.
The Office of the Scientific Director guarantees the utmost rigour and professionalism in the selection process for both research projects and fellowships.
125 million euro to fight cancer
In 2020, AIRC and FIRC have funded 622 research projects and 71 fellowships, along with 22 special research programmes.
At the end of 2020, AIRC and FIRC approved a total expenditure of 125,544,415 Euros to support cancer research. Such a sum includes, among other things, 19,676,522 Euros for the ‘5 per mille’ programme dedicated to the study of metastases and 3,605,233 euros to support 13 Accelerator Awards.
What we fund
Dissemination and communication
Knowledge is a fundamental weapon to beat cancer, and AIRC knows it well. Over the years, we have been increasingly communicating the results achieved by research, as soon as laboratories made new data available.
AIRC's communication activities include the dissemination of scientific results and awareness-raising projects focused on prevention, as well as the promotion of fundraising campaigns and schools projects, both through our own channels and with the essential support of the media.
Central to this strategy is Fondamentale magazine, our voice in the homes of supporters and one of the most authoritative Italian publications in the field of oncology.
Online
presence
For many years, AIRC and FIRC have been committed to strengthening the relationship with donors and engaging with a younger demographic through digital channels. New technologies allow us to target a wider audience and increase the effectiveness of our communication efforts.
Media
communication
In addition to supporting the progress of oncological research by financing projects of excellence, AIRC is committed every day in disseminating scientific information through its channels and with the essential support of the media.
The media are a strategic ally in this dual mission, because they help keeping the audience up-to-date with the results of research and emphasize the importance of the contribution everyone can make to make cancer ever more treatable.
The future of research starts from the classroom
We need the help of everybody to make cancer more and more treatable, and schools are undoubtedly a privileged place in which to build this awareness.
AIRC and FIRC have long had an intense collaboration with schools, from preschool up to secondary schools, with the aim of bringing children closer to science and the world of cancer research, working together on topics such as solidarity and active citizenship. In order to further expand our audience, over the last few years we have increased our presence in major scientific dissemination festivals.
AIRCampus: the university project
goes on
Knowledge, innovation, passion, a good cause, future: these are some of the values that guide the work of AIRC researchers, who are relentlessly at work in our country's laboratories. The same principles inspired AIRCampus, a project launched in 2016 to let AIRC meet up with Italian university students: together, for the future of research. The goal of AIRCampus (which in 2019/2020 was hosted by the "Federico II" University of Naples and by the Universities of Padua, Palermo, Pavia and Ferrara) is to introduce the students to the work of AIRC, its mission and its values, spreading awareness of the "cancer problem" while familiarising the students with the world of volunteering. Together with AIRC, the universities organised moments of in-depth classroom analysis on issues related to AIRC’s activity that pertain, at the same time, to the various courses of study. With the consent of professors, AIRC involved other professionals (including researchers, journalists, communication and non-profit experts) who met the students in class and discussed topics connected to their study plans, giving all students the opportunity to delve into subjects that kindle their interest.