News Release

Fox Chase Cancer Center named best place to work in the US for academia researchers

Survey conducted by The Scientist Magazine

Grant and Award Announcement

Fox Chase Cancer Center

PHILADELPHIA (October 16, 2003) – Fox Chase Cancer Center has ranked #1 in The Scientist magazine's "2003 Best Places to Work in Academia" in the U.S. The results are detailed in the article "How They Measure Up: Scientific Institutions" appearing in the October 20, 2003 issue of The Scientist, a magazine for life scientists.

Authors of the article simply sum-up what they found after reviewing more than two thousand "Best Places" surveys: "The recipe for job satisfaction couldn't be simpler: Give scientists colleagues with whom they can collaborate, and the tools – both physical and financial--they need to do their own work well."

"We all have a common mission and a common goal," said Erica Golemis, Ph.D., a researcher in the basic science division at Fox Chase. "This is the most cooperative, interactive place." Golemis was interviewed for the article.

Non-commercial researchers from around the world were invited to take part in an on-line survey used for the rankings. The questionnaire asked respondents to assess their working conditions and environments by indicating their level of agreement with 56 positive statements in 12 different areas. Respondents also indicated which factors were important to them.

To calculate the institutions' overall rankings, The Scientist first weighted each factor based on the percentage of respondents who considered it important. The overall rankings are based on the average score per institution from all respondents on all factors weighted according to their regional importance.

"We are extremely collegial and collaborative, with a can-do attitude. I think that is extremely important," said Anthony Yeung, Ph.D., director of the Fannie E. Rippel Biochemistry and Biotechnology Facility at Fox Chase.

Fox Chase earned high marks for its infrastructure and research resources.

"There's not a lot of bureaucracy at Fox Chase. There's a president, the directors, and the working group heads, and that's it," said Mary Ann Sells, Ph.D., director of grants and contracts and former head of the cell culture facility. "There's no politics involved."

Rounding out the top ten in ranking order are Purdue University, Yale University, the University of California, the University of Minnesota, Cornell University, the National Cancer Institute, Michigan State University, the University of Nebraska, and the Southwestern Medical Center at the University of Texas.

Fox Chase's ranking reflects an overall philosophy of providing a stimulating work environment at every level of the institute. Earlier this year, a separate survey by The Scientist ranked Fox Chase among the best places to work for postdoctoral researchers. In 2002, Philadelphia Magazine named Fox Chase as one of the best places to work in the region. The American Nurses Association has recognized Fox Chase as an excellent workplace for nursing by honoring it with the Magnet award for nursing excellence. The subsidized daycare program for the children of employees is one of only 5 percent of daycare programs in the United States to receive national accreditation for its outstanding child development credentials.

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Fox Chase Cancer Center, one of the nation's first Comprehensive Cancer Centers designated by the National Cancer Institute in 1974, conducts basic and clinical research; programs of prevention, detection and treatment of cancer; and community outreach. For more information about Fox Chase activities, visit the Center's web site at www.fccc.edu or call 1-888-FOX CHASE.


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