Committees

Several Committees oversee EORTC’s strategy and independence as well as the relevance and scientific value of all research efforts, ensuring scientific work meets highest quality standards. Each EORTC Committee Chair is selected to serve a three-year term which may be renewed upon recommendation by the EORTC Board.

The Audit and Financial Committee (AC/FC)

The Audit and Financial Committee’s responsibilities include assisting the Board of the EORTC and the EORTC Cancer Research Fund, respectively, in their financial management. The AC/FC is an advisory voice for the Organisation’s long-term financial management principles and budgeting and financial reporting processes. The Committee ensures strong recommendations to the Board on financial matters.
The AC/FC hires, dismisses, and supervises auditors.

The Nominating Committee (NC)

The Nominating Committee acts as an advisory Committee to the Board regarding appointments of the President of the Board, the CEO, and the CFO. It also safeguards that the Organisation has formal, rigorous, and transparent procedures to support these decisions. The NC is chaired by the President in charge and is composed of the three Past Presidents.

The Executive Committee (ExCo)

The Executive Committee may be conducted upon need to expedite critical decisions. It expedites matters which require actions in between plenary Board meetings. It is not predefined, and participants are selected among the Board Members depending on the nature of the issues to be discussed.

The Scientific Audit Committee (SAC)

The Scientific Audit Committee gives independent advice to the EORTC Board and to the Scientific Chairs Council on the activities, scientific output, overall priorities and strategies of the EORTC. The SAC evaluates the effectiveness of research programmes and makes suggestions to strengthen the EORTC’s overall functioning. The SAC also serves as an advisory body to the EORTC Board to appoint Group leadership. The Committee’s Members represent a cross-section of international opinion leaders and experts, half of whom have no other EORTC involvement.

The Fundraising Committee

The Fundraising Committee is in charge of establishing a fundraising strategy to serve the mission and the scientific strategy of the Organisation. It is also responsible for coordinating the efforts to implement the fundraising strategy. The latter includes, but is not limited to, direct solicitation of donors, identification and coordination of fundraising opportunities such as campaign development and exploiting the fundraising expertise present in the Organisation. The Fundraising Committee works in close collaboration with the Organisation’s fundraising officer and the CEO to avoid duplication of work and ensure efficiency.

The Scientific Chairs Council (SCC)

The Scientific Chairs Council drives the scientific agenda of the Organisation and ensures an adequate scientific projects portfolio balance in order to fulfil its mission. It acts as a cross-Group exchange facilitator and ensures common functioning rules across Groups (management, appropriate distribution for studies, place of Early Career Investigators, …). It is the link between the EORTC network and other EORTC governance bodies. It establishes the principles of the EORTC’s scientific strategy and the prioritisation criteria which go with it. It is composed of the Chairs of the Groups and Task Forces. The details of its functioning are regulated by a Charter.

The Radiation Oncology Science Council (ROSC)

The Radiation Oncology Science Council was created as a think tank to stimulate exchanges among the EORTC Disease-Oriented Groups network and to identify new areas of research in radiation therapy. The ROSC benefits of the contribution of members of the European SocieTy for Radiotherapy and Oncology (ESTRO), ensuring the link with the larger radiation oncology community.
It actively promotes radiation therapy both within the EORTC and beyond.
It acts as a reference for radiotherapy (RT) for the EORTC, including for the Disease-Oriented Groups and the EORTC Board, and the radiation therapy quality assurance community.
It will identify and define radiation oncology research questions and support ongoing EORTC activity in the field of radiation therapy.
It will represent the EORTC when called upon to encourage the development and implementation of RT initiatives both nationally and internationally.

The Chief Executive Officer operationalises the overarching strategy as defined by the Board and the appropriate deployment of the Organisation in the global landscape and represents the whole EORTC Organisation at the Board as ex-officio non-voting Member. The CEO provides support to the functioning of all Board-related Committees, as well as for the PRC/TRAC and the IDMC. The CEO’s full roles and responsibilities are also governed by a Charter.

The Operational Committees ensure the scientific and methodological validity of EORTC activities. They operate under independent processes. The Protocol Review Committee (PRC) is the central organ giving clearance for the new prospective clinical research programs. The PRC evaluates the projects in light of the EORTC scientific strategy and its prioritisation criteria as defined by the Scientific Chairs Council and approved by the Board.

Protocol Review Committee (PRC) and Translational Research Review Committee (TRAC)

The Protocol Review Committee is an independent standing Committee that will review a selection of proposed studies based on the submitted protocol synopsis, and assess their scientific value as defined in the EORTC project portfolio management process. The PRC comprises international experts in all disciplines of oncology.

The Translational Research Advisory Committee ensures the scientific relevance of the translational research in incoming study proposals. It is therefore supportive of the PRC to achieve its evaluations. The TRAC also reviews research projects that are conducted on existing data and human biological material collections.

Independent Data Monitoring Committee (IDMC)

The Independent Data Monitoring Committee conducts interim reviews of EORTC studies and intergroup studies where the EORTC is the coordinating Group (including studies conducted in partnership with the pharmaceutical industry). EORTC values patient perspective and since 2021, patient representatives are members of the IDMC.

The IDMC makes recommendations on whether or not to pursue or adapt a clinical trial based on scientific, ethical, statistical or safety considerations.

The permanent IDMC for EORTC studies functions according to a Policy. 
All communication with the IDMC should be addressed in writing to IDMCsec@eortc.org.

The EORTC Network is composed of all Groups and Task Forces. They conduct translational research and/or clinical trials on all types of cancers using a multidisciplinary approach, working according to compatible Standards of Conduct and in compliance with the Organisation’s statutes. The leadership of the different Groups and Task Forces is voted by their respective members, who are Active EORTC Members.