Friday, April 4, 2025
4/4/2025
Behavioral Oncology Education & Career Development - PROJECT SUMMARY Consistent with recent NCI priorities, there is an urgent need for new investigators to develop skills to broaden the translation of established and emerging cancer prevention and control strategies. Transdisciplinary learning experiences in Behavioral Oncology must evolve to include health equity, technology, policy, data science, cancer care delivery, community engagement, dissemination, and implementation science to enhance impact on patients and communities. Moffitt Cancer Center (Moffitt) is uniquely positioned to train the next generation of Behavioral Oncology scientists as the only NCI Designated Comprehensive Cancer Center in a state with the nation’s second highest cancer burden. This renewal builds upon a 20-year history of highly successful postdoctoral Behavioral Oncology training. Among trainees from the recently funded cycle who have completed training, 92% have continued in cancer research careers; of those, 58% hold tenure track faculty positions. In addition, an impressive 42% of trainees received NIH funding as a direct result of participating in our T32 grant writing seminar. Notably, during the current funding period (2019-2024), 53% of trainees admitted and enrolled (excluding 3 trainees who had completed their first year as part of the R25T and therefore were not recruited in this T32) were from underrepresented groups (as defined by the NIH), reflecting our intentional and ongoing efforts to ensure a diverse group of independent investigators. In this renewal, our T32 program will retain components of mentoring, structured learning activities, and immersion within the cancer center that have been key to our success, while adding novel components that address the changing landscape of Behavioral Oncology. Innovations include a conceptual framework that further guides our use of empirically supported strategies to enhance trainee success and the addition of new mentors and training opportunities to align with the abovementioned priority areas. Our T32 program has four goals: 1) Train 15 full-time postdoctoral fellows committed to research in Behavioral Oncology, of whom at least 30% will be from groups underrepresented in cancer research; 2) Implement a comprehensive structured training program in Behavioral Oncology rooted in health equity; 3) Engage mentors to improve trainee experiences using empirically supported mentoring strategies; and 4) Evaluate training program efforts to continually assess impact and inform modifications. T32 program activities are supported by a strong institutional commitment and a robust infrastructure to support Behavioral Oncology research and training (e.g., a state-of-the art cancer prevention lab, a cancer analytics platform of patient self-reported data and clinical data). In summary, trainees of the T32 Behavioral Oncology Program are expected to go on to successful research careers with a transdisciplinary, translational, and health equity focus.
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).