Metastatic Advocate Researcher Program (MARP)

Call for Applicants

Goal of the program: Build long-lasting bidirectional relationships between researchers and advocates.

Participant selection

  • Breast cancer patient advocates with research advocacy experience are encouraged to apply (previous research advocacy experience is preferred but not required).

  • Cancer researcher applicants should focus on metastatic and/or breast cancer research. Previous experience in working with advocates is preferred but not required. Preference will be made to junior investigators including PhD students close to defending, post docs, and junior faculty.

  • Participants will be selected in a way that balances the cohort and matches the pairs with respect to expertise, background, experience with cancer, and goals.

Benefits of being selected

  • Travel expenses up to $1,500 covered for all MARP advocates and researchers

  • Highlights on the Theresa’s website about you/ your partnership

  • Blog post created between the research scientist and research advocate

  • Introduction to a partnership that we hope will continue to improve cancer research!

Expectations of those selected

  • All MARP participants will attend the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium

  • Advocates will be required to participate in the Alamo Advocate Program

  • Researchers will be required to submit an abstract to the Symposium

  • Prior to the Symposium all MARP participants will attend interactive webinars or watch the webinar recordings. We will also ask that you fill out a pre-conference survey.

  • Patient advocate and researcher pairs will be introduced by email prior to the Symposium.

  • We will also ask that you fill out a pre-conference survey.

  • Throughout the remainder of the conference, there will be opportunities to touch base with your MARP partner, including walking through a poster session and attending a Hot Topics advocate Session together.

  • After the conference is over, each pair will work together to write a blog post – this can be about your experience at the conference, the researcher’s project, or the advocate’s experience with cancer – and should be written from both of you. Blog posts will be due one month after the end of the conference (January 8) Blogs will be posted on the Foundations website.

  • You will be encouraged to continue working with your partner. We will follow up with Webinar~6 months after the Symposium to checkin.

To apply submit the following to josh@theresasresearch.org by July 3, 2025

Advocates

  • CV or Resume

  • A paragraph about your experience with you/ your loved one having breast cancer (max 150 words)

  • If applicable, your experience advocating for research for MBC (max 300 words)

  • A paragraph explaining what you hope to gain from participating in MARP (max 300 words)

  • Not Completed the Alamo Advocate Program in the last 5 years.

Researchers

  • CV or Resume

  • A paragraph about your research focus in lay terms (max 300 words)

  • If applicable, your experience working with patient advocates (max 300 words)

  • A paragraph explaining what you hope to gain from participating in MARP (max 300 words)

  • Provide proof of abstract submission