Monday, November 25, 2024
11/25/2024
Project Summary: This is a renewal application for years 17-21 of this summer mentored research training program in cancer epidemiology for U.S. public health graduate students. This application supports a 12-week mentored summer field research experience in foreign countries and among special populations in the U.S., an orientation, a career development workshop, and mentored manuscript writing. There are few cancer epidemiologists who have the skills and experience to implement studies in ethnically diverse settings, whether in other countries or among migrant and minority populations in this country. Our faculty and field collaborators have the experience to provide expert field research training and mentorship. An increase in qualified applications has reduced the acceptance rate from 78% in the first few years to 19%, when the program became open to students from all 247 U.S. schools and programs of public health in the current funding cycle, in which students were recruited from 41 states. The program expanded its field research sites in minority populations in Michigan, Nebraska, and New York. Strong infrastructure in global sites has also been extended from Africa and the Middle East to Latin America, Asia, and Europe. The publication rate of students from their summer research data is 78% and alumni published 699 papers after finishing the program. Sixty- five percent of alumni continued in cancer-related fields. The objective of this proposal is to continue developing and implementing this summer research program to prepare graduate students from accredited U.S. schools and programs of public health in the field of cancer epidemiology in special populations. New features of this renewal application will be increasing the number of annual positions from 15 to 22 and introducing a workshop for mentors in the beginning of the summer. To achieve these objectives, the following specific aims are proposed: 1. Recruit and select MPH and PhD students to fill 22 positions each year of the 5-year grant renewal period. 2. Maintain and enhance the infrastructure developed in the past 15 years that supports students in summer field research experiences in special populations. A new innovation in this renewal will be the development of a 2-day session for mentors on the subject of mentoring in the beginning of the summer. 3. Maintain and increase the pool of on-campus faculty mentors and field-site research mentors developed in the past 15 years. 4. Maintain and enhance review and oversight functions of our Research Training Advisory Committee. 5. Maintain and enhance the process of formative and summative outcome evaluation and long-term tracking. This program will continue to define cancer epidemiology in special populations as a future career discipline for students in the field of epidemiology. The successful implementation of this program will continue to provide a source of skilled professionals needed to carry out cancer epidemiology research in special populations.
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).
