The Bristol Myers Squibb Foundation (BMSF), together with its partners National Medical Fellowships and the American Association for Cancer Research, has announced a new name for the $100 million, 5-year initiative launched in 2020 to increase diversity in clinical trials: The Robert A. Winn Diversity in Clinical Trials Award Program.
Robert A. Winn, MD
The program, created as one of several commitments to health equity and diversity and inclusion made in 2020 by the BMSF and its donor, Bristol Myers Squibb, has been named in honor of Robert A. Winn, MD, Director, Massey Cancer Center, Virginia Commonwealth University. Dr. Winn is the first Black Director of a National Cancer Institute (NCI)-designated cancer center, and the recipient of numerous honors and awards. Serving as Chair of the National Advisory Committee of the BMSF Diversity in Clinical Trials Career Development Program from its inception, Dr. Winn’s guidance was instrumental in shaping the program.
Two Awards
The Robert A. Winn Diversity in Clinical Trials Award Program includes two awards—one for early-stage investigator physicians who are from diverse backgrounds and/or committed to increasing diversity in clinical trials, and another for medical students who are underrepresented in medicine.
The first cohort of award scholars entered the program in November 2021. These physicians are from 22 states across the United States and include 34 women and 18 men representing a diverse cross section of races and ethnicities, as well as a range of therapeutic experiences. The awardees are paired in mentoring relationships with established investigators and serve as mentors to underrepresented minority medical students in the Winn Pipeline Award program.
