Call for Committee Volunteers, Refresher Course is NOW, ASTRO joins groups calling for NIH funding

April 9, 2025

Calling all volunteers for ASTRO committee service

ASTRO is now accepting volunteers interested in serving on ASTRO committees and/or subcommittees for the Society year beginning September 30, 2025! To be considered for service, please visit the Call for Committee Volunteers online, where you may select up to two committees in order of preference. The committee volunteer process will remain open until May 2. Volunteers who are selected to serve will be notified no later than August 1, 2025. Follow this Roadmap to Committee Service for important dates throughout the process. Note: To assist ASTRO leadership in making appropriate committee appointments, please complete or update your Statement of Disclosure.

 

ASTRO Fellow applications due May 2

Applications are open for the 2025 ASTRO Fellow (FASTRO) designation and the final deadline is fast approaching! Last year, ASTRO held the induction of its second-largest class of Fellows since the program began in 2006. Review full eligibility requirements and application instructions. All materials must be submitted by Friday, May 2.

 

New RTA – On Target Podcast available

In recognition of Head and Neck Cancer Awareness month this April, ASTRO has released its latest patient-focused podcast on the RTAnswers – On Target podcast show. In this episode, radiation oncologists Niema Razavian, MD, from Moffit Cancer Center in Tampa, and Edina Wang, MD, from Duke University, discuss the different types of head and neck cancer, how radiation therapy is used to treat these cancers, what to expect during treatment and what other medical professions will be involved in the patient’s care. On Target is available to download on Apple iTunes and Spotify and to stream on www.astro.org/podcasts.

 

Annual Refresher Course started today – and you can register through Friday

The 2025 Virtual Annual Refresher Course started this morning, but it’s not too late to participate. If you sign up before the course ends, the Refresher onDemand is included in your registration. Not only can you view the livestream and participate in the sessions until 5:00 p.m. Eastern time on Friday, but you save $100 on the cost of the standalone Refresher onDemand available on April 21, with access through April 2027. In this short video, Rachel Jimenez, MD, shares more about her session on Breast Cancer starting Thursday afternoon and invites you to register now!

 

Sign up for ROCKS session on April 11 and learn keys to the promotion process

Early career researchers: learn more about the tenure and promotion process from experts who have been there! Panelists will present the basics of tenure and promotion, how to identify your home institution’s policies, what records you should keep as you prepare, the type of mentors to seek out and serve as, and how to strengthen your overall application. Join us for this free webinar on April 11, at 4:00 p.m. Eastern time. Register today in the ASTRO Academy.

 

ASTRO joins 500+ groups calling for NIH funding boost

ASTRO joined with hundreds of organizations as part of the Ad Hoc Group for Medical Research in an April 7 letter calling for a 9% increase in funding for the National Institutes of Health for fiscal year 2026. For more info, go to What’s Happening in Washington.

 

ASTRO seeks public comments for guideline on gastric cancer

ASTRO requests feedback on its first draft guideline on Radiation Therapy for Gastric Cancer. The guideline covers a broad scope, including resectable disease, unresectable but nonmetastatic disease, locoregionally recurrent disease, and metastatic disease, including oligometastases. Please review the guideline and submit comments through the webform by Monday, April 21. You can also access the draft guideline and webform at www.astro.org/PublicComment.