Thursday, November 21, 2024
11/21/2024
Since 1992, MD Anderson Cancer Prevention Education: Student Research Experiences has provided short-term experiences in cancer prevention research and education to attract students to careers in cancer prevention research. We recruit undergraduate, graduate, and health professional students from the basic biomedical sciences, biostatistics, epidemiology, genetics, behavioral and social sciences, nursing, medicine, pharmacy, and related public health disciplines. Beginning with 10 positions in 1992 and increasing over time, the Program now supports 25 positions annually. Other than pandemic shutdown-year 2020, to date, all positions have been filled annually. The Advisory Committee reviews and selects the students based on the merit of their academic performance, educational objectives, and research interests. The Specific Aims are to recruit nationally and train 25 high-performing students for 10-week positions annually, using innovative and effective strategies to attract a demographically diverse student population; to cultivate and support our pool of mentors; to provide a superlative mentored research training experience in a variety of cancer prevention disciplines; to provide career and professional skills development and research ethics; to broaden participation in research careers through development of students’ identity as scientists; and to rigorously evaluate the Program’s value and effectiveness, tracking students’ career trajectories long-term. Around the Program’s centerpiece of mentored research in cancer prevention designed by faculty with student learning objectives, we provide a structured curriculum covering topics in cancer prevention and control and application of these principles in practice; exposure to many career paths into the field and methods for career exploration and decision-making; and other professional development activities with strong emphasis on career navigation skills development. Although this specialized curriculum has had long-term success, in part from adding over time many innovative educational activities, in this renewal, we will refine the curriculum, strengthening engagement with cancer prevention and control principles and research while continuing to improve and evaluate new components that are designed to increase self-awareness and strengthen defense strategies against negative conditions detrimental to learning, personal well-being, and achieving career goals (e.g., impostor feelings, fixed ability mindset, perceived discrimination), helping students navigate and persist in those career paths successfully. Linking personal values and themes in research and cancer prevention accumulated over 10-weeks with the value of pursuing careers in the field will serve as a way to extend and intensify interest in such careers after the end of the Program. Overall, the Program’s success takes many forms, from recruitment of a highly diverse student population, to students’ development of research products suitable for publication, and also a large number of alumni who have advanced in cancer prevention from graduate school to faculty and other independent research and leadership positions.
HHS’ Tracking Accountability in Government Grants System (TAGGS) website provides access to detailed descriptions of grants, loans, aggregated direct payments and other types of financial assistance awarded by the HHS Operating Divisions (OPDIVs) and the Office of the Secretary Staff Divisions (STAFFDIVs).
