Center Investigators and Mentors for the career development awardees are required to attend the Annual Kathleen Foley Palliative Care Retreat and Research Symposium meeting. This joint meeting sponsored by the NPCRC, American Cancer Society, and AAHPM College of Pallaitive Care will be held in a location to be determined each year. Grants are subject to cancellation if an investigator fails to attend the requisite scientific meeting.

The purpose of the retreat is to review current progress in palliative care research, review the Center's strategic plan and priorities, and develop ideas and consensus on new priorities. This retreat is attended by the NPCRC Scientific Advisory Committee, the Principal Investigators on the NPCRC and American Cancer Society Pilot/Exploratory Project Grants, the recipients of the NPCRC Career Development Awards and their mentors, the Scholars of the AAHPM College of Palliatve Care, and staff from all three sponsoring organizations.
 
The annual research symposium brings Center Investigators together to present and discuss their ongoing research. This symposium, in contrast to the retreat, focuses on the scientific findings of the Center investigators and reviews and discusses other major findings in the field. The research symposium provides an opportunity for interdisciplinary palliative care researchers to come together on an annual basis to network, learn from each other, discuss the science of palliative care, and develop new research ideas and collaborations.