This award is in honor of our founder, Robert F. Berris, MD. In 1970, Dr. Berris penned a letter to the Director of the National Cancer Institute (NCI) stating that the current system of cancer research funding was not reaching down to the community level where the majority of patients were being treated. In 1983, the NCI followed Dr. Berris’ advice and formed the Community Clinical Oncology Program (CCOP). Under Dr. Berris’ leadership, Colorado Cancer Research Program (CCRP) was one of the original 20 CCOP sites established and continues today as Western States Cancer Research, dba Altitude Clinical Research, to bring state-of-the-art prevention, treatment and symptom control clinical trials to local communities across the United States. Dr. Berris retired from his private practice in 2005, but not from CCRP. In November of 2005, Dr. Berris agreed to Chair the newly formed Colorado Community IRB (CCIRB). This valuable organization provided local review of all studies opened through sites like Western States Cancer Research. Dr. Berris served on the CCIRB and actively supported CCRP until his death in 2011. Dr. Berris embodied all the attributes of this award.