Increasing Minority Participation in Cancer Prevention and Control

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DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The University of the District of Columbia (UDC) proposes to establish a Cancer Research and Education Academy (the Academy) in conjunction with the Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center (LCCC) at Georgetown University Medical Center. It is designed for science students who have an interest in entering cancer research careers. The Academy is a natural progression of the cancer partnership between UDC and LCCC, established in 2000, to address the heavy cancer burden among African American in the Washington, D.C Metropolitan Area. The new Academy will provide a pipe-line of undergraduate student to enter the jointly administered and jointly taught Masters Program in Cancer Biology, Prevention and Control and provide academic and non-academic support that allows students to built confidence to successfully pursue more advanced degrees. The goal of the Academy is to promote initiatives, strategies, and activities that will increase the number of minority students pursing careers in cancer research in an attempt to address health disparities. The Masters Program will be incorporated into the Academy that will consist of an Education and a Research core. Each core will have a mentoring and academic enrichment focus. The Education core will utilize a highly competitive curriculum that allows for undergraduates to major in biology with a cancer option and to enrich the current curriculum in Masters Program. Functions of the Academy include: (a) initiating new cancer courses and enhancing several pre-existing cancer courses; (b) implementing research-based instruction; (c) placing community outreach in specific courses; and (d) and utilizing scientific experts in classroom settings. The Research core will provide each undergraduate and graduate student with an academic year and summer cancer research experience in a research laboratory at LCCC, UDC. In addition to presenting research papers at scientific meetings, student will have as series of enrichment activities e.g. research skills workshops, career workshops, distinguished lectures, and cancer seminars and membership in a Journal Club. There will be a strong multi-tiered mentoring program for both undergraduate and graduate students. The Academy will engage students in systematic approaches to learning and create and enable students to negotiate a successful transition at each level of more specialized academic training.