UICC Technical Fellowships: advancing cancer care and reducing inequities

The Technical Fellowships (formerly called the International Cancer Research Technology Transfer awards, or ICRETT) is one of the UICC's longest-standing initiatives. It has been a key programme for UICC in advancing cancer care and research, particularly in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), for 48 years. It has evolved over the years since its inception in response to the needs of those working in cancer control.

Nicol Keith, a Professor of Molecular Oncology at the School of Cancer Sciences, University of Glasgow, has been involved with the Technical Fellowships programme for some 30 years. Rob Jones, a Professor of Clinical Cancer Research at the University of Glasgow, took over as co-chair of the programme from one of his colleagues in 2007, shortly after he was appointed as Senior Lecturer at the University of Glasgow.

“One of the things that make the Technical Fellowships different from other programmes is the particular focus on people and their training and career development,” said Prof. Keith. “This focus has been instrumental in maintaining the programme’s relevance and effectiveness over the years.”

Prof. Jones highlighted an important focus in the programme’s evaluation criteria. “The focus is now very much on what their impact will be when they return home will have,” Prof. Jones noted. “This shift has ensured that the clinical care and research expertise gained through the Fellowships is directly applicable and beneficial to the Fellows’ home institutions.”

A particular strength of the Technical Fellowships programme, according to Professors Keith and Jones, is this ability to address local needs and reduce inequities in cancer care by enabling Fellows to bring back advanced clinical and research skills and knowledge to their home countries. Many Fellows have initiated new programmes in their respective countries, for instance cervical cancer screening, palliative care services, or geriatric oncology care.

Prof. Keith highlighted the programme’s adaptability to local contexts, particularly its emphasis on applications from Francophone Africa in recent years. “Opening the programme to Francophone Africa was significant, because it acknowledges the importance of language, and that certain types of work need to be in local languages,” Prof. Keith explained.

Professors Keith and Jones both acknowledged that highlighting the individual successes of Fellows over the decades is challenging due to their vast number, and is not the most important performance indicator of the programme. Instead, they emphasised the programme’s widespread and long-term impact. “It’s thousands of people working in dozens of countries over the years,” Prof. Keith remarked, underscoring the programme's broad reach.

Prof. Jones pointed out that the true measure of success lies in the systemic improvements brought about by returning Fellows. “What you're looking for is reducing inequalities, which is often difficult to measure. It doesn't necessarily mean making somebody the best, it means bringing them up to the level playing field,” he said.

As such, the Fellowship alumni are an incredible group of people and their experiences have been fundamental in helping understand the impact of the Fellowships programme. Beginning as far back as 2013, Profs Keith and Jones initiated detailed impact evaluations by engaging with the alumni. The results of these have played an important role in providing indicators of success that support the aims of the Fellowships programme and, importantly, aid its evolution, ensuring it remains relevant. Key findings of the impact evaluations demonstrate that, as a result of their Fellowship, Fellows have increased professional influence; increased knowledge and skills; an expanded and enduring international professional network and their new skills and influence are highly valued by their home institutions. Significantly, the fellowship scheme is seen as unique in providing critical training opportunities and experiences that no other organisation supports.

This positive contribution of the Technical Fellowships programme to both professional growth and local capacity building should not be underestimated.

The Technical Fellowships programme aims to continue its focus on addressing local needs and promoting equity in cancer care. This involves encouraging more public health applications, fostering translational and implementation research, and ensuring the skills acquired by Fellows are relevant and immediately applicable.

The 2024 Technical Fellowships call is currently open until August 12 and welcomes applications with a strong emphasis on public health and the training of health professionals on cost-effective and evidence-based cancer control strategies and interventions relevant to and appropriate to the applicant’s context, and the wider health system.