NATIONAL — [March 31, 2026] — The Robert A. Winn Excellence in Clinical Trials Award Program (Winn Awards), an initiative dedicated to improving participation in and access to clinical trials, is pleased to announce that AstraZeneca has joined the program as a funding partner. AstraZeneca will provide support for five medical students participating in the Winn Clinical Investigator Pathway Program (Winn CIPP) in 2026, an immersive summer service-learning program designed to prepare the next generation of clinical researchers.
The Winn Awards exist to increase participation in clinical trials, ultimately driving better health outcomes in more communities and saving more lives. Guided by the mission of Better Science For All, the program equips early-career physician-researchers and medical students with the skills to implement high-impact studies that engage medically underrepresented populations, ensuring that new therapies are safe, effective, and accessible to all who need them.
The Winn Clinical Investigator Pathway Program (Winn CIPP) is designed for medical students interested in clinical research and passionate about expanding access to the latest medical advances. All medical students are eligible to apply, with special consideration given to students whose experience meets the American Association of Medical Colleges’ definition of disadvantaged backgrounds, as one of the program’s key goals is to inspire future clinical investigators from all walks of life.
During the six-week program, students gain hands-on experience at clinical research sites and participate in three core areas:
● Clinical Research: Developing team-based service-learning research projects in collaboration with site supervisors.
● Community Engagement: Designing and implementing projects such as patient education, outreach, or community needs assessments.
● Leadership Development: Learning career pathways in clinical research, receiving mentorship from site leaders, and connecting with early-stage clinical investigators through one-on-one mentorship sessions.
The program culminates in a weekend symposium, to be held this year in Chicago, where students come together for learning, networking, and graduation. Each student receives a stipend to cover travel, lodging, and living expenses during the six-week program, helping to ensure students from all backgrounds who are selected can take part in this transformative opportunity.
“Great things happen when industry partners come together to solve important challenges in health care,” said Dr. Robert A. Winn, namesake of the program and Director of Fox Chase Cancer Center. “We are thrilled to welcome AstraZeneca to the Winn Awards community. We have long admired their commitment to connecting more communities to clinical research, and we are excited to collaborate with them in this work. By igniting an interest in clinical research among medical students from all walks of life, we are nurturing future clinical trialists who will be more likely to engage the communities that most need access to research and the latest advances in medicine.”
The Winn Awards are made possible through the support of funding partners who share our commitment to Better Science for All: the Bristol Myers Squibb Foundation, Gilead Sciences, Amgen, and Genentech. The Bristol Myers Squibb Foundation founded the Winn Awards in 2020. AstraZeneca became the fifth funding partner to join the Winn Awards within five years.
Each additional funder has enabled the Winn Clinical Investigator Pathway Program Winn CIPP to expand. In its first year, the program funded 44 medical students across eight clinical research sites in five cities. This year, 82 students will participate at 18 sites in 12 cities. AstraZeneca’s commitment reflects the growing momentum and collective dedication to training a research workforce that is focused on expanding clinical trial representation.
“AstraZeneca is honored to join the Robert A. Winn Excellence in Clinical Trials Award Program as a funding partner and to support five Winn CIPP scholars in 2026,” said Carlos Doti, Vice President, Head of Medical Affairs, US Oncology, AstraZeneca. “By investing in the next generation of clinical investigators through this immersive, community aligned program, we’re helping build a research ecosystem that better reflects the patients we serve and accelerates innovation where it’s needed most.”
About the Robert A. Winn Excellence in Clinical Trials Award Program
The Robert A. Winn Excellence in Clinical Trials Award Program (Winn Awards) is transforming the future of clinical research. Through rigorous training, mentorship, and hands-on experience, we empower early-stage physician investigators and medical students with the skills and expertise to engage a broader range of patients — ensuring that the communities enrolled in trials reflect the populations affected by disease. By bridging this gap, we help advance treatments that are safer and more effective for all.
Three signature programs are included in the Winn Awards: 1. the Robert A. Winn Excellence in Clinical Trials Award Program: Career Development Award (Winn CDA), a 2-year program that trains early-career investigators to design and lead high-impact trials with a focus on community engagement to increase representation; 2. the Robert A. Winn Excellence in Clinical Trials Award Program: Clinical Investigator Pathway Program (Winn CIPP), a 6-week program that provides medical students with early exposure to community-engaged clinical research; and 3. the Winn Clinical Investigator Leadership Awards (Winn CILA), which provides additional training for three years to Winn CDA graduates and is implemented by Conquer Cancer’s EveryGrant and the American Heart Association. Visit www.winnawards.org for more information.
News article
Not applicable