Event FAQs

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GRASP offers poster walkthroughs at national cancer conferences as well as virtual eGRASP exchanges. Poster walkthroughs are conducted in-person, but due to COVID-19 and the restrictions on group gatherings, GRASP now offers poster walkthroughs virtually. eGRASP exchanges are not associated with a particular conference and involve the review of a scientific poster, scientific article, or grant proposal. eGRASPs can be initiated by patient advocates interested in taking a “deep dive” on the science of a poster or article and/or researchers seeking feedback on a grant proposal. If you have an idea for an eGRASP, please contact us at hello@graspcancer.org.

Poster walkthroughs, whether in-person or virtual, and eGRASPs involve small groups of people who together will review a scientific poster or article that has been recently presented at a national cancer conference. The groups will always include a scientist, which may be a researcher or clinician, and a mentor which will be an experienced patient advocate. Groups are kept intentionally small (no more than 5 individuals) to facilitate a more comfortable learning environment whereby advocates can feel free to share their experiences and ask questions.

The GRASP scientist will “translate” the science behind a poster or article by providing scientific context and clarifying any relevant technical terms.

The GRASP mentor will ensure the science is being communicated effectively and that patient advocates understand all key concepts. Mentors will help guide the group – slowing down the discussion when a concept requires more explanation and moving the discussion along once all advocates are on the same page.

GRASP scientists and mentors are selected by a committee of scientists, researchers, and patient advocates.

The posters are vetted and chosen by a committee of experienced patient advocates and reviewed for scientific merit by a committee of researchers and clinicians.

GRASP participants (both scientists and advocates) will not be able to choose individual posters, but will be able to choose the topic of posters according to their interest and/or expertise. Posters will cover scientific topics within basic, translational, and clinical research including but not limited to molecular biology, immuno-oncology, the metastatic process, health disparities, or survivorship, among many others.

No! The groups will be determined by each individual’s availability, interests, and expertise.

Typically, poster walkthroughs take approximately 2 hours and depending on each group, 2-4 posters may be reviewed in this timeframe. Depending on the topic, some posters will take much longer to review than others. There is no requirement for the number of posters reviewed, GRASP values quality over quantity!

No! The program does not require participants to create a poster, only to review the posters already being presented at a conference.