POLICY: MASCC Study Group Leadership

Criteria for the Positions of Study Group Chair and Vice-Chair

  1. Must have been a MASCC member for at least a year.
  2. Must be willing to assume responsibilities of Chair or Vice-Chair.
  3. When possible, Vice-Chairs will be from countries different from that of the Chair.
  4. The term of office is 3 years with consideration for one 3-year renewal.
  5. Recommendation(s) must be received and approved by the President and Executive Committee.
  6. Applicant must sign a Conflict of Interest document annually.
  7. Chair and Vice-Chairs understand that, if they are not able to fulfill their roles and responsibilities, they may be asked by the President to cede their position to another MASCC member.
  8. The composition of the SG leadership team should be 1 Chair and 1 or 2 Vice-Chairs. There should be one clearly defined Chair leading the group.

Annual Tasks to Be Completed by Study Group Chair and Vice Chair(s)

The Chair and Vice-Chairs will decide among themselves who will beresponsible for the tasks listed below. They may also delegate tasks toother Study Group members. The Chair retains responsibility for completion of alltasks. Example: The leaders may delegate a Study Groupmember to take minutes at meetingsor to contribute to, or monitor, the Study Group’s page on the MASCC website.

Communication with Study Group Members (via e-mail)

  • Communicate with group members a minimum of two (2) times a year: once prior to the MASCC Annual Meeting to encourage abstract submission and attendance, and once after the Annual Meeting to report on the Study Group’s meeting.
  • Respond to members’ inquiries in a timely manner.
  • Solicit input on projects such as web resources.
  • Consider sending a note to every new member (list received monthly from Executive Director). A template isavailable to use for welcoming new members.

Communication within MASCC

  • Respond to e-mails from the Board Of Directors and MASCC staff within 2 weeks.
  • Prepare a report for the annual business meeting and send it to the Study Group Coordinator 30 days prior to the meeting.
  • Confer with MASCC staff when selecting Study Group members to carry out Study Group activities.
  • Be available to review materials submitted for the MASCC review process.

Maintain the Study Group Section of the MASCC Website

  • Submit annual meeting minutes to the Study Group Coordinator, so that they can be posted online within one (1) month after the meeting.
  • Select other meeting presentations that are appropriate for posting.
  • Send new resources, such as articles, talks, research, and books, to the Web Editor ( or ).
  • Alert the Web Editor orStudy Group Coordinator of newly published booksauthored by a MASCC member.
  • Identify hyperlinks to other like resources.
  • Post all of the Study Group’s ongoing studies and surveys online.
  • Any books or other materials to be posted on the MASCC website must first be approved by all Study Group leaders. This policy also applies to any materials to be distributed to Study Group members or MASCC members.

Annual Meeting

  • Provide the Planning Committee with input for the selection of topics and speakers.
  • Hold a Study Group meeting at the Annual Meeting. Appoint a member to lead the meeting if neither the Chair nor a Vice-chair is in attendance. Take attendance and minutes at the Study Group meeting. Prepare and send minutes of the meeting within 30 days of the Annual Meeting to theStudy Group Coordinator and all Study Group members.
  • Act as a scientific advisor in one’s area of expertise to the Local Planning Committee of the Annual Meeting.
  • Compile a list of Study Group members who will review abstracts in their areas of expertise for the Annual Meeting.

Study Group Projects and Activities

  • Identify a yearly goal or plan (e.g., research project, survey, literature review) for the Study Group.
  • Appoint members who will be responsible for implementing the plan, timeline, etc.
  • Consider applying for a $1000 MASCC grant to support implementation of the plan.
  • To apply for a MASCC grant, complete an application that describes the project and budget and submit this to the MASCC Executive Committee for approval.

Supportive Care Journal

  • Review manuscripts when requested by the Editor.
  • Encourage group members to submit their research to the journal for publication.

Apply for Study Group Leader Travel Grant

  • Every year, any Study Group leader can apply for a SG Leader Travel Grant of $1000 to help defray travel expenses to the Annual Meeting. The Study Group Coordinator will circulate the form in early spring to all SG leaders. This is a competitive process, and the limited number of awards will go to those who have contributed the most to their Study Groups. Generally, there are four awards per year.

Succession Planning for Study Group Leadership

When it is time to select new leaders for a Study Group, the Study Group Chair and the Study Group Coordinator should circulate the Study Group Leader Application form to group members about 6 months before the Annual Meeting. Anyone who is interested in becoming either a Chair or Vice-Chair should complete the form and send it to the Study Group Coordinator, along with a CV. The Study Group Coordinator will collect the applications and send them to the relevant Study Group leaders for deliberation. Decisions must be reviewed and approved by the MASCC Executive Committee.

Leslie Johnson, Study Group Coordinator:

Revised 10/2/2015 [AY/ÅS]

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