UAB Cancer Prevention and Control Training Program (T32)

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In 1988, the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Cancer Prevention and Control Training Program (CPCTP) was established under an R25 mechanism and has trained 154 pre- and post-doctoral fellows over the past 28 years. Located in the Deep South, an area marked by poverty and health disparities, the CPCTP provides a critical bridge for students from diverse and disadvantaged backgrounds who seek research careers in cancer prevention and control. Currently, 55% of CPCTP trainees are underserved minorities, and 65% are female. Consonant with NCI's mission to address the nation's behavioral, biomedical, and clinical research needs for a diverse workforce (PAR-16-152), we seek to transition our CPCTP to a T32 mechanism, so that we can continue to prepare a diverse pool of highly-trained scientists who have made a major career commitment to cancer prevention and control research (3 pre- & 3 post-doctoral fellows in years 1-2, and 4- pre & 4- post doctoral fellows in years 3-5, with a planned duration of 3-years for each appointment). Over 90% of graduates from our current cycle are actively engaged in research careers showing success. Our proposed T32 adds many novel components to the CPCTP, while retaining those that have been key to our success, e.g., our team science multidisciplinary approach and strong team mentorship from 32 faculty who are members of the Cancer Control and Population Sciences and Cancer Chemoprevention Programs of the UAB Comprehensive Cancer Center (CCC) - one of the nation's first 7 NCI-designated CCCs. Our efforts are supported by a solid financial commitment by the UABCCC and our proposed aims are to: 1) recruit, educate, train and evaluate pre- and postdoctoral fellows from diverse academic disciplines to conduct interdisciplinary research in cancer prevention and control; 2) recruit a diverse cadre of well-qualified trainees who include members of minority groups, (i.e., African-Americans, Latinos/ Hispanics, and other disadvantaged groups), and capitalize on UAB's networks and resources to promote research in health disparities within the framework of cancer prevention and control; 3)provide a specialized core didactic and tailored research curricula and rich learning opportunities in cancer prevention and control (e.g., seminars, grant preparation/mock reviews), that complement (not duplicate) other UAB training programs; 4) foster the development of independent research careers in cancer prevention and control through mentoring by senior faculty who have established track records in funded research; 5) further the development of all trainees via additional coursework, additional degrees (i.e., MSPH), and obtaining independent research fellowships or career awards (e.g., F31/32, K99, DP5); 6) educate our trainees in the Responsible Conduct of Research and in areas of professional development that will enhance their future successes in research careers at universities, private institutions, or within the federal government; and 7) emphasize interdisciplinary research training (team science) to enable trainees to gain competence in at least two research areas and enhance their future ability to collaborate with professionals in other areas.