SUMMER UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAM TO EDUCATE RADIATION SCIENTISTS (SUPERS)

描述（由申请人提供）：二十多年来，尽管电离辐射在医疗和非医疗环境中的使用越来越多，但在辐射的各个方面具有专业知识的活跃研究科学家的数量一直在稳步下降。为了满足这一需求，我们提出了夏季本科生计划，以教育辐射科学家（超级）。我们假设，通过（1）为本科生提供一个支持性的环境，教他们癌症生物学，辐射生物学，辐射物理学和癌症成像的基础知识（2）向他们介绍最先进的实验室技术和设备，（3）让他们接触临床（翻译）辐射研究的相关性，我们将鼓励这些学生追求癌症和辐射研究的职业轨迹的显着数量。将特别强调招募少数民族和妇女参加该计划，这两个群体在辐射研究部门的高级专业人员中的代表性严重不足。我们的计划有两个具体目标： 在目标1中，我们将提供一个培训计划，让有才华的本科生接触辐射生物学、物理学和癌症成像。该计划将结合联合收割机两个正式的讲座式的教育与动手研究培训在选定的导师的实验室。SUPERS计划具有允许本科生连续两个夏天参加的灵活性。 在目标2中，我们将制定策略，让参加该计划的学生从事癌症和辐射相关研究的职业。我们将（a）让学生接触为癌症研究做出重大贡献的科学家和医生，强调这些贡献与临床影响的联系。(b)鼓励学生在研究务虚会上展示自己的工作，以增加他们与其他科学家沟通能力的信心，（c）与学生建立个人关系，鼓励他们在完成SUPERS计划后与导师和计划负责人保持联系，以及（d）建立一个跟踪SUPERS学生成果（职业轨迹）的计划，并评估计划的成功。 通过完成该计划的目标，我们预计将增加从事癌症和辐射相关研究的科学家的数量和质量，这将对从医疗保健到生物恐怖主义的领域产生重大影响。 公共卫生相关性：该提案的总体目标是识别，招募和培养有才华的本科生，在辐射生物学，物理学和癌症成像的基础和转化方面。在过去的二十年里，这三个相关领域的学术参与稳步下降。特别强调将被放在招聘的少数民族和妇女进入该计划，谁是在辐射科学的代表性大大不足。通过完成该计划的既定目标，我们预计，我们将增加未来从事辐射相关研究的科学家的数量和质量，这将对改善医疗保健和生物恐怖主义等各种生活领域产生重大影响。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The number of active research scientists with expertise in all aspects of radiation has been steadily decreasing for more than two decades, despite the increasing use of ionizing radiation in medical and non medical settings. To fill this need we propose the SUMMER UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAM TO EDUCATE RADIATION SCIENTISTS (SUPERS). We hypothesize that by (1) providing undergraduate students with a supportive environment that teaches them the underpinnings of cancer biology, radiation biology, radiation physics, and cancer imaging (2) introducing them to state-of-the-art laboratory techniques and equipment, and (3) exposing them to the clinical (translational) relevance of radiation research, we will encourage a significant number of these students to pursue cancer and radiation research career trajectories. Particular emphasis will be placed in the recruitment of minorities and women into the program, two populations who are substantially underrepresented in upper professional ranks of radiation research departments. There are 2 specific aims to our program: In Aim 1, we will provide a training program to expose talented undergraduate students to radiation biology, physics and cancer imaging. This program will combine both formal lecture-style education with hands-on research training in the laboratories of selected preceptors. The SUPERS program has the flexibility of allowing undergraduate students to participate for two consecutive summers. In Aim 2, we will establish strategies to engage students who take part in this program to pursue a career in cancer and radiation-related research. We will (a) expose students to scientists and physicians who have made significant contributions to cancer research, emphasizing the connection to clinical impact of these contributions. (b) encourage students to present their work at a research retreat to increase their confidence in their ability to communicate with other scientists, (c) establish personal relationships with the students to encourage them to stay in touch with preceptors and program leaders after completing the SUPERS program, and (d) establish a program to track outcome (career trajectories) of the SUPERS students and evaluate the programs success. By completing the goals of this program, we anticipate that we will increase both the number and quality of scientists engaged in cancer and radiation-related research, which should have a substantial impact in areas from healthcare to bioterrorism. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: The overall goal of this proposal is to identify, recruit and train talented undergraduate students, in the basic and translational aspects of Radiation Biology, Physics and Cancer Imaging. These three related fields have seen a steady decline in scholarly participation during the last two decades. Particular emphasis will be placed in the recruitment of racial minorities and women into the program, whom are substantially underrepresented in the radiation sciences. By completing the stated goals of this program, we anticipate that we will increase both the number and quality of future scientists engaged in Radiation-related research which should have a substantial impact in improving diverse life arenas such as health care and bioterrorism.