American Association for Cancer Research
The American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) is a Philadelphia-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit membership organization founded in 1907 that serves over 65,000 cancer researchers, clinicians, and patient advocates worldwide through scientific journals, the AACR Annual Meeting, research grants, policy advocacy, and Project GENIE.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1907
- HeadquartersPhiladelphia, United States
- Headcount251–500
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What American Association for Cancer Research does
The American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit professional membership organization founded in 1907 and headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It is the first and largest professional organization dedicated to preventing and curing cancer through research, education, communication, and collaboration, and it currently serves more than 65,000 members worldwide, including cancer researchers, clinicians, healthcare professionals, and patient advocates. Its mission is operationalized through publications, scientific meetings, research grants, and policy advocacy.
AACR's product and technology footprint centers on a portfolio of ten peer-reviewed scientific journals (including Cancer Discovery, Cancer Research, Clinical Cancer Research, and Blood Cancer Discovery); the AACR Annual Meeting, which drew more than 22,000 attendees from over 140 countries in its 2026 edition; three annual Cancer Progress Reports covering overall, disparities, and pediatric cancer; Project GENIE, a publicly accessible international cancer registry aggregating real-world data from leading cancer centers; the Scientist↔Survivor Program connecting patient advocates with researchers; the AACR Cancer Centers Alliance of 94 member centers; and a grants program that administers fellowships, career awards, and the $15 million Trailblazer Cancer Research Grants.
AACR's business model is a diversified nonprofit funding stack: recurring annual membership dues from 65,000+ members, subscription and licensing revenue from ten scientific journals, registration fees from the Annual Meeting and specialized conferences, foundation-level philanthropic income through the AACR Foundation, and grants and donations from corporate and institutional partners such as AWS, Pfizer, Mark Foundation, Lustgarten Foundation, and Debbie's Dream Foundation. Distribution is anchored by direct member engagement, flagship and specialized conferences, peer-reviewed journals, and the Project GENIE data registry. The organization does not monetize software products, SaaS platforms, or AI model APIs.
American Association for Cancer Research firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- American Association for Cancer Research
- Legal name
- American Association for Cancer Research
- Website
- https://aacr.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1907
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 251–500 employees
- Short description
- The American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) is a Philadelphia-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit membership organization founded in 1907 that serves over 65,000 cancer researchers, clinicians, and patient advocates worldwide through scientific journals, the AACR Annual Meeting, research grants, policy advocacy, and Project GENIE.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
American Association for Cancer Research industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Professional Cancer Research Association
- NAICS
- Voluntary Health Organizations (813212), Business Associations (813910)
- SIC
- Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Health Services (8000)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Disease-Specific Research & Support (e.g., Cancer, Diabetes, ALS) (BPAGACAA)
Keywords
Where American Association for Cancer Research is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Philadelphia
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
American Association for Cancer Research business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Others, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Membership Dues: Annual membership fees from over 65,000 members worldwide including researchers, clinicians, and patient advocates
- Publications and Journals: Revenue from scientific journal subscriptions and publications including Cancer Today magazine
- Conference and Meeting Fees: Registration fees from Annual Meeting and specialized conferences throughout the year
- Research Grants and Donations: Grants such as the $150,000 AWS Imagine Grant for Project GENIE, plus individual and corporate donations through AACR Foundation
- AACR Foundation Philanthropy: Donations, planned giving, workplace giving, and corporate partnerships supporting cancer research
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | One time | Reduced registration for patient advocates |
| Subscription | Annual | Membership categories |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels6 records
Marketing channels9 records
American Association for Cancer Research product offering
Product offeringCore offering
AACR is a nonprofit professional membership organization that advances cancer research through membership services, a portfolio of ten peer-reviewed scientific journals, the premier global AACR Annual Meeting, specialized conferences and educational workshops, research grants and fellowships, the Project GENIE international cancer data registry, and policy advocacy. It serves more than 65,000 members worldwide, including cancer researchers, clinicians, and patient advocates, while connecting cancer centers through the AACR Cancer Centers Alliance of 94 member institutions.
Product overview
The American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) operates as a nonprofit membership organization rather than a technology product company. Its core offerings include a portfolio of 10 peer-reviewed scientific journals (Cancer Research, Cancer Discovery, Clinical Cancer Research, etc.), the AACR Annual Meeting as the premier cancer research conference, and three annual progress reports documenting advances in cancer research, pediatric cancers, and cancer disparities. The organization also operates the Project GENIE international cancer registry, the Scientist↔Survivor Program connecting researchers with patient advocates, and maintains a grants program funding cancer researchers. AACR's ecosystem includes educational workshops, the Cancer Centers Alliance collaboration, and publications including Cancer Today magazine and the Cancer Research Catalyst blog. The organization does not offer software products, SaaS platforms, or technology integrations.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- AACR Scientific Journals Portfolio
- AACR Annual Meeting
- AACR Specialized Conferences and Workshops
Quantifiable outcome
- 34% decrease in overall age-adjusted cancer death rate in the U.S. from 1991 to 2023
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use American Association for Cancer Research
Customer profileNamed customers8 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
American Association for Cancer Research technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
American Association for Cancer Research partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered major, core and minor.
- Debbie's Dream Foundation: Curing Stomach CancermajorSince 2014, the two organizations have collaborated on gastric cancer research grants. DDF has contributed approximately $1.65 million through various grants and awards. The AACR-Debbie's Dream Foundation Innovation and Discovery Grant provides $100,000 over two years ($50,000 in 2026, $50,000 in 2027) for innovative gastric cancer research.
- Mark Foundation for Cancer ResearchcoreThe Mark Foundation launched a coalition of leading cancer research organizations (AACR, Lustgarten Foundation, Break Through Cancer, and Tina's Wish) dedicated to early detection of deadly cancers. The coalition is investing $12 million across six collaborative research projects focused on pancreatic, ovarian, and esophageal cancers.
- Lustgarten FoundationcoreCoalition partner in the $12 million early detection initiative targeting pancreatic, ovarian, and esophageal cancers. The coalition aligns strategy and pools expertise to accelerate solutions that no single organization could achieve alone.
- Break Through CancercoreCoalition partner in the $12 million early detection initiative. Part of ambitious shift in how cancer research is funded by aligning strategy and pooling expertise across organizations.
- Tina's WishcoreCoalition partner in the $12 million early detection initiative focused on pancreatic, ovarian, and esophageal cancers. These cancers often grow silently and contribute to persistently poor long-term survival rates.
- Amazon Web Services (AWS)majorAWS awarded AACR an Imagine Grant worth up to $150,000 to support Project GENIE, the international cancer registry. This funding supports the publicly accessible registry assembled through data sharing between leading cancer centers worldwide.
- AACR Cancer Centers AlliancecoreThe AACR Cancer Centers Alliance facilitates collaboration among the nation's cancer centers on shared goals. The alliance has 94 member cancer centers working together on research coordination and advocacy.
- PfizermajorPfizer provides generous support for the Patient Advocate Partners Pavilion at the AACR Annual Meeting, creating a vibrant hub for 30 patient advocacy organizations.
- UT Health San Antonio's Mays Cancer CentermajorCo-host of the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium with AACR. The symposium drew more than 11,000 attendees from 104 countries and generated $39.6 million in economic impact in 2025.
- Association of American Cancer Institutes (AACI)majorAACR partners with AACI for annual Hill Day events to advocate for NIH funding. The two organizations work together on congressional advocacy for cancer research funding.
- Cancer Vaccine CoalitionminorCancer Vaccine Coalition, founded by patient advocate Kristen Dahlgren, works to fund the next generation of cancer treatments. Dahlgren serves on the AACR Annual Meeting 2026 Program Committee.
- Fight Colorectal CancerminorAnjee Davis, President of Fight Colorectal Cancer, serves as member of the AACR Annual Meeting 2026 Program Committee, demonstrating collaborative engagement with advocacy organizations.
Scale indicators12 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
American Association for Cancer Research competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO): ASCO is the leading U.S. professional society for oncologists and cancer care professionals; it operates a parallel model of journals (JCO), a major annual meeting, member dues, and advocacy programs, making it AACR's closest direct peer in membership-based cancer research.
- American Cancer Society (ACS): ACS is a peer nonprofit health organization with a similar mission of advancing cancer outcomes through research funding, patient support, and advocacy. It shares AACR's donor/research-grant revenue model but operates with broader public health and patient-services scope.
- Cancer Research Institute (CRI): CRI is a peer nonprofit focused on cancer immunology research funding and scientific convening, operating with a similar grantmaking and conference model to AACR but with a narrower immunotherapy and tumor immunology focus.
- V Foundation for Cancer Research: The V Foundation is a peer nonprofit that funds cancer research through competitive grants and partners with AACR on administering research awards, sharing AACR's nonprofit cancer-research funding and stewardship model.
- Stand Up To Cancer: Stand Up To Cancer is a peer nonprofit that raises and deploys funds for collaborative cancer research teams, often partnering with AACR on grant administration; it overlaps AACR's research-funding intermediary role.
- Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation: Damon Runyon is a peer nonprofit that funds early-career cancer researchers through fellowship and award programs. It shares AACR's research-grant funding model and career-development mission.
Regional players
- European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO): ESMO is the leading European peer to AACR, running a comparable model of journals (Annals of Oncology), the annual ESMO Congress, and member-driven oncology research advocacy. It is geographically distinct but offers directly overlapping membership and meeting competition.
Broad incumbents
- National Cancer Institute (NCI): NCI is the federal government's primary agency for cancer research and training. Although it is a governmental, not membership-based, organization, NCI defines the funding landscape AACR's members and grant programs depend on, making it the dominant incumbent stakeholder in AACR's ecosystem.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
American Association for Cancer Research social profiles
Digital presenceAmerican Association for Cancer Research financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
American Association for Cancer Research leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
American Association for Cancer Research funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors1 record
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American Association for Cancer Research M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about American Association for Cancer Research
What does American Association for Cancer Research do?
AACR is a nonprofit professional membership organization that advances cancer research through membership services, a portfolio of ten peer-reviewed scientific journals, the premier global AACR Annual Meeting, specialized conferences and educational workshops, research grants and fellowships, the Project GENIE international cancer data registry, and policy advocacy. It serves more than 65,000 members worldwide, including cancer researchers, clinicians, and patient advocates, while connecting cancer centers through the AACR Cancer Centers Alliance of 94 member institutions.
Is American Association for Cancer Research a public or private company?
American Association for Cancer Research is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was American Association for Cancer Research founded?
American Association for Cancer Research was founded in 1907. It employs 251 to 500 people.
Where is American Association for Cancer Research based?
American Association for Cancer Research is headquartered in Philadelphia, United States, in the North America region.
How does American Association for Cancer Research make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Membership Dues are the primary driver. The others are publications and Journals, conference and Meeting Fees, research Grants and Donations and AACR Foundation Philanthropy.
Who are American Association for Cancer Research's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), American Cancer Society (ACS), Cancer Research Institute (CRI), V Foundation for Cancer Research, Stand Up To Cancer and Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation. European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) is listed as a regional player. National Cancer Institute (NCI) is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does American Association for Cancer Research have an API?
No public API is recorded for American Association for Cancer Research.
What industry is American Association for Cancer Research in?
American Association for Cancer Research's product category is Professional Cancer Research Association. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGACAA, Disease-Specific Research & Support (e.g., Cancer, Diabetes, ALS). Its NAICS code is 813212 and its SIC code is 8600.