The Minnesota Ovarian Cancer Alliance (MOCA) accepts scholarship applications throughout the year for Minnesota oncology nurses or physician assistants to attend relevant conferences aimed at enhancing the care of women with ovarian cancer.

These travel awards provide funding for oncology nurses and physician assistants to attend educational conferences that will help them improve their care of women with ovarian cancer, increase their knowledge of the disease and enable them to educate others about ovarian cancer.

This funding is made available through MOCA with support from the families of Anita Lubov, an oncology nurse who died of ovarian cancer in 1999 and Jan Arnold who died of melanoma in 2017.

Oncology nurses and physician assistants currently practicing in Minnesota can apply for support to attend conferences that will help them:

• Improve their care of women with ovarian cancer
• Increase their knowledge of ovarian cancer
• Enable them to educate others about ovarian cancer

The funding can be used to support travel, conference fees, lodging and per diem. It is not meant to supplant funding available from employers or other sources. Individual scholarships range from $1,000 – $5,000 and multiple scholarships are awarded each year.

Applications can be found here and are accepted on a rolling basis. Applications must be received by the MOCA office at least 30 days prior to the start of the conference.

Each year, MOCA awards $2,500 to one individual in the cancer care continuum who provides exceptional care to women with ovarian cancer.

The Colleen Anderson Excellence in Cancer Care Award is open to those in frontline positions who interact with ovarian cancer patients and their caregivers and is not limited to health care professionals.

The awardee may be a nurse, doctor, office worker, lab technician, therapist, or any other individual who demonstrates deep compassion and exceptional professionalism while working with ovarian cancer survivors in a professional care setting during the course of their treatment.

This award was established in 2020 by the family of Colleen Anderson, who recognized that everyone involved in the cancer care continuum has an important role in supporting patients and their families emotionally and physically.

The cash award is unrestricted and may be used for any purpose.

Nominators for the award may be patients, family members, or professional colleagues.

Application

To nominate an individual for this award please complete the application found here. Nominations are due by October 18, 2024 and will be awarded at MOCA Awards Night, Tuesday, November 12 at the Wilder Foundation, 451 Lexington Parkway North, St Paul, MN 55104.

Contact Kate Rodriguez at krodriguez@mnovarian.org with any questions.

Past recipients include:
2020: Dona Maki, retired oncology nurse, MHealth
2021: Lisette Anderson, MSN, RN, Mayo Clinic; Jody Mattson, RN, BSN, OCN, MHealth Fairview-Maple Grove; Akia Smith, DNP, APRN, WHNP, Minnesota Oncology-Coon Rapids
2022: June Schatz, Patient Services Representative, MN Oncology
2023: Sherry Looker, RN, BSN, OCN, Mayo Clinic

Each year, the Minnesota Ovarian Cancer Alliance (MOCA) awards a $1,000 Pederson Nursing Scholarship to support​ one oncology nurse who works at the University of Minnesota Fairview Hospital and provides care to women with ovarian cancer. The award supports continuing education costs to improve the care of women with ovarian cancer.

The Pederson Nursing Scholarship is awarded in memory of Janet Pederson, who passed away from ovarian cancer at age 62 in 2015.

Applications are due October 18​, 2024. Applicants who have previously received an award from MOCA, including the Lubov Arnold Travel Award, are ineligible.

Find the application form here. Submit the completed application and your resume to Kate Rodriguez at krodriguez@mnovarian.org​.

For more information about nursing scholarships or to set up a scholarship in the name of a loved one, please contact MOCA Executive Director Kathleen Gavin at kgavin@mnovarian.org or call 612-822-0500.