About Us

Scientific Funding for Researchers

Each year, the Marsha Rivkin Center funds promising research for ovarian cancer. These researchers and their studies are selected through a highly competitive process. Each application is individually reviewed by a panel of nationally recognized experts for its scientific merit, novelty, and potential to impact the prevention, detection, treatment, and understanding of the disease. There are two streams of scientific funding:

Pilot Study Awards

Young and established investigators alike struggle to find funding for innovative approaches to address scientific questions because their new ideas may not yet be in the scientific mainstream. Each year we support multiple pilot studies with $75,000 each to pave the way for new avenues of ovarian cancer research and to expand our understanding of the disease.

Scientific Scholar Awards

Young, talented investigators often have novel ideas and fresh approaches to scientific challenges. In order to attract new investigators to ovarian cancer research, each year we support multiple Scientific Scholars who receive $60,000 each for their proposed research.

MRC-Supported Programs

The Ovarian Cancer Early Detection Screening Program uses CA-125 blood tests and annual ovarian ultrasounds to help detect ovarian cancer early in women at high risk for ovarian cancer. Funded by the Marsha Rivkin Center, this program not only provides women access to novel biomarkers for ovarian cancer screening when they become available, but it also provides researchers with tools to identifying additional blood markers that might complement the CA-125 blood test.

The Ovarian Cancer Research Symposium is the largest national research conference dedicated exclusively to ovarian cancer. The biennial event provides a national focus of ovarian cancer research and the development of collaborative research links.

The Marsha Rivkin Center-Sponsored Tissue Bank that currently contains over 200,000 distinct blood/tissue samples and patient data used by researchers to assist in the identification of new diagnostic and early detection tools.

SWOG Gynecologic Cancer Committee supported by the Marsha Rivkin Center to encourage the development and adoption of new clinical trials for ovarian cancer treatment.