ABSTRACT The proposed conference, entitled “Colorectal Cancer” will be held October 21-24, 2021 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. This will be the second AACR conference focused specifically on advances in colorectal cancer held in the last 5 years. Colorectal cancers (CRC’s), are the second leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States. Unfavorable risk factors such as obesity, physical inactivity, and smoking in addition to an ageing population and dietary habits of high- income countries increases the risk of CRC. CRC incidence and mortality rates are also rising in the young-onset population, with ~12% of cases being diagnosed in individuals under age 50. Advancements in pathophysiological understanding have increased the array of treatment options for local and advanced disease leading to individual treatment plans Although current therapies have led to an overall decrease in CRC incidence and mortality, the 5-year survival rate for patients with advanced metastatic CRC stands at about 14%. CRC morbidity and mortality can be mitigated through appropriate screening and surveillance however its effectiveness is jeopardized by a several factors including the lack of accessibility and suboptimal screening compliance. These data highlight the acute need for continued research to improve diagnostic testing and treatment paradigms. With the aim of connecting basic and translational research to clinical care, the proposed conference will bring together research scientists and clinicians to discuss the latest findings in CRC research. To this end, the AACR is seeking support to expand the conference and to recruit outstanding young investigators through additional Scholar-in- Training awards. Attendance by this “next generation” of cancer scientists and caregivers will help better disseminate the rapidly growing collection of research innovations as well as ignite new collaborations. The program has been carefully designed to feature thought-provoking sessions on advances in risk factors and prevention, genomics, microbiome, immunotherapy, and other emerging therapies. Collaboration and networking will also be encouraged by incorporating multiple opportunities for thoughtful discussion and meaningful interaction between participants.