Global Oncology Survey Guidance

Receiving the Survey

• Each Cancer Center has received a personalized link to the survey. You may share the survey link, but we suggest reviewing responses before the survey is submitted to ensure everything is accurate and information was not accidentally deleted or replaced. 

• Cancer Center Directors were sent a separate multiple-choice survey about global oncology priorities and future directions. Both surveys are part of this initiative from NCI, but they do not ask for the same information. We appreciate your assistance in completing all parts of the survey.

 

Filling out the Survey

• ​​​Most survey questions require a selection before advancing to the next question. Please review all survey questions in the PDF version of the survey shared in the initial invitation and below prior to beginning the survey.
  o    Part 1 Global Oncology Programs and Training Opportunities
  o    Part 2 Global Oncology Projects

• You may close out the survey webpage at any time.  Your responses will be saved and you can re-open the survey using the link provided in the invitation email. You will be brought to the most recent question you answered and can continue from there. 

• The survey employs some automated skip patterns depending on your answers to certain questions. It may appear that you have skipped some questions however, you have not missed any questions. 

• When specific numbers are not available, please estimate to the best of your knowledge.

• You only need to submit information for non-NIH-funded projects. 

• We understand that you may have global oncology programs and projects that are currently under development. For reporting purposes, only report on the number of formal Global Oncology Programs at the point of this year’s fielding of the survey. You can report on global oncology activities throughout the survey and will have an opportunity to update your information at the next fielding of the survey (in approximately 2-3 years). Please contact mishka.cira@nih.gov for further clarification.

 

Submitting the Survey

• It is possible that you may need to update or add new information to your survey responses after submission. You will receive a copy of your survey responses to validate and update, as needed, after the survey data collection period has finished. Please email mishka.cira@nih.gov if you have any questions. 

• After submitting the survey, you should receive an automated confirmation email from NCIGlobalOncSurvey@westat.com. If you do not receive an automated confirmation, please contact mishka.cira@nih.gov.   

• Project PIs listed in the survey will receive a separate email from  NCIGlobalOncSurvey@westat.com with the subject “Project Information Requested for 2021 Global Oncology Survey of NCI Designated Cancer Centers” for each project for which he/she is responsible. For this reason, it is very important that you list the correct e-mail address for PIs. PIs should fill out the details about their projects for direct submission back to NCI.

 

Results Publication and Dissemination

• Aggregate data from the program survey will be published in a report authored by the National Cancer Institute, but individual Cancer Center responses will not be identified. Some submitted project data (not funding information) may be shared with partners and other NCI-Designated Cancer Centers with permission, to encourage collaboration.

 

Definition of Survey Terms

• Active Project: Project is ongoing (includes projects that have been paused due to the pandemic).

  Collaboration: Formal agreements of research or training collaboration, often but not always including a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU).

  Global Oncology Activities: Include research, training, and implementation activities conducted at least in part outside the United States by faculty/staff/trainees as part of their cancer center portfolio of responsibilities. 

  Global Oncology Program: Any dedicated department, office, or program that leads the management of global oncology activities across your Cancer Center, typically with dedicated faculty/staff effort, and in some cases, a dedicated operating budget.

  Global Oncology Project: In general, these are projects led by or convened by a PI at your Cancer Center in partnership with an international collaborator in a setting outside the United States.  This can include projects focused on research, training, education, capacity building, etc. Projects that are unfunded (collaborations, partnerships without a direct funding source) are welcome to be submitted. Projects conducted in collaboration with or led by departments within the medical school or university affiliated with your Center are welcome to be submitted as long as Cancer Center faculty/staff are involved.

  Inactive Project: Project is ended/closed. 

  International trainees: Trainees outside of the U.S. that have traveled to your Cancer Center to receive specialized training through a residency or fellowship and/or a nursing or research program.

  Low- and Middle-Income Countries: World Bank income classifications are used; which include low-income and lower-middle-income economies as defined by the World Bank. 

  New Project: the project is new since 2018 reporting, including projects which have already ended/closed since then. If you did not provide any projects in the 2018 survey, then all of your projects will be considered new.

  Trainees:  Those receiving specialized training through a residency or fellowship and/or a nursing or research program provided by your Cancer Center. Undergraduate or graduate students enrolled in a program at an affiliated university may be counted as trainees depending on the structure of your Cancer Center.