ROI at the ASTRO Annual Meeting

Stop by the ROI virtual booth in the Virtual Exhibit Hall at the ASTRO Annual Meeting to learn about the research selected for funding in 2020 and to learn how to support research in radiation oncology.

In June, the ROI awarded more than $200,000 in grants to four outstanding teams of researchers working to enhance diversity and inclusion in radiation oncology. These award winners were selected from a competitive field of applicants who proposed projects to address the need to improve health equity in patient care and the radiation oncology workforce.

The projects selected for funding include:

• Development of a grading system for assessing acute radiation skin toxicity across a range of skin tones
• Program to recruit more underrepresented minority students into radiation oncology
• Creation of a value-based model for cancer care delivery in the federal prison system
• Evaluation of disparities in oncology care among the LGBTQ+ community

If you are interested in applying for funding from the ROI, the new request for proposals (RFP), “Biomarkers for Radiation Oncology,” will be available for downloading at the booth.

We hope you will stop by the booth to learn from some of the ROI's generous donors why they support the ROI. You can also discover why the support of the ROI is so important to some of the researchers who have ROI grants. You also can talk with some of the ROI Board members and ROI staff at the Virtual Booth during your visit.

You can join with your colleagues in supporting ROI research, which seeks to improve outcomes for patients by providing solutions for some of radiation oncology’s most pressing and practical needs. At the ROI virtual booth, you can learn from others the importance of the mission of the ROI and make your tax-deductible contribution to the ROI.

If you make a gift to the ROI prior to the Annual Meeting, we invite you to stop by to see your name displayed and we ask you to encourage others who might be considering a gift to the ROI to visit the booth as well.

The ROI relies on the generosity of its supporters and will proudly recognize them at the virtual booth:

• The Founders’ Circle, gifts of $12,500 or more to the ROI
• The President’s Circle, gifts of $1,500, $2,500, $5,000 or more and gifts of $50 $100 or more for residents and associates in 2019 and in 2020 
• The Legacy Circle, gifts through bequests, life insurance or retirement beneficiaries, or other planned vehicle.
• The Sustainers’ Circle, monthly gifts to the ROI
• Corporate Research Forum, corporate gifts of $10,000 or more
• Donors of $100+ in 2020

You can also be among the first to participate in the ROI Legacy Challenge. If you confirm in writing that you have provided for the ROI in your will or by naming the ROI as a beneficiary of your retirement, life insurance or donor-advised fun, or through other estate planning, a sum of $2,500 given to the ROI will be designated in your honor. Tim Guertin, a former ROI Trustee, has made a gift of $25,000 for the Legacy Challenge this year to encourage others to include the ROI in their estate plans. The Legacy Challenge is kicking off at the ASTRO Annual Meeting, and you can make your commitment at the ROI virtual booth. By participating in the Legacy Challenge, you will also become a member of the special recognition group, the Legacy Circle.

At the virtual booth, you can also find out who will be honored with the 2020 ROI Publication Award and learn about the update of the RadOnc Toolbox app, which now features the ASTRO Clinical Practice Guidelines.

The ROI is pleased to welcome back Russell LaGreca, CFP, CIMA, CRPS, who will present a program on financial planning for ASTRO Annual Meeting attendees. The session will be pre-recorded and available on demand during the Annual Meeting. Mr. LaGreca will also be available by appointment at the ROI virtual booth to speak with individuals who have questions.

A visit to the ROI virtual booth promises to enlighten and to excite you about the Radiation Oncology Institute, ASTRO’s research foundation and your research foundation, too.