Research Education Core

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PROJECT SUMMARY The UMass Boston Dana-Farber/Harvard Cancer Center Partnership’s Research Education Core (REC) aims to bridge the divide that exists in the biomedical workforce by increasing the number of UMass Boston students, particularly those from underrepresented populations, to pursue graduate degrees and cancer/cancer health disparities research careers. Utilizing evidence-based training that fosters the growth and persistence of underrepresented students in the sciences, the REC provides trainees with science enrichment education and mentored research experiences which emphasize professional development, inclusive support, and team science across multiple disciplines. The framework of the REC focuses on three areas that are critical to the development of research scientists: (1) acquisition of scientific knowledge; (2) development of communication skills; and (3) individualized career development. The Core will provide four research education programs: undergraduate, post-baccalaureate, graduate, and post-doctoral. Over the course of the grant cycle the REC seeks to support 60 undergraduates (15-20 per year, minimum one semester or summer, 90% multi- semester), 30 graduate students (6-8 per year, most multi-semester), 15 post-baccalaureate students (3 per year for 1-2 years), and 2 nursing post-doctoral scientists (1 per two-year fellowship) in innovative research education programming. Partnership faculty will mentor trainees and fellows at all levels. Recognizing that the needs of individuals vary and that they change at each educational level, the REC will provide individualized and developmentally appropriate experiences aimed at preparing students/trainees for the next phase of their academic and research careers. The REC will continue to provide research opportunities for students at the intersection between the natural/physical sciences and social/behavioral sciences. Over the past 15 years, the Research Education Core (REC) has provided 347 trainees/fellows across the scientific preparation levels with mentored research experiences and scholarly, scientific, and professional development that prepares them to pursue advanced degrees & fellowships, and then to become cancer, health disparities, and/or biomedical science researchers. The REC will continue to use innovative methods to assess the extent to which the Partnership research education program is preparing trainees and fellows to successfully pursue a productive cancer/cancer health disparities research career. The REC will also advance scientific knowledge on effective research education programs through the submission of manuscripts to peer-reviewed publications regarding the impact of Partnership activities on the diversity of the biomedical workforce and effective strategies for developing research scientists from underrepresented backgrounds.