Empowering the Next Generation of Cancer Professionals: the Fox Chase Cancer Center-University of Delaware Partnership for Undergraduate Research and Career Development

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PROJECT SUMMARY The number of cancer healthcare providers and researchers is not expected to keep pace with the aging population of the United States, creating an imperative to educate and motivate the next generation of cancer professionals. Experiential research laboratory internships have been shown to be an impactful way to incentivize students toward careers in cancer research, but often such programs are limited in number and scope, thus impeding their potential to influence undergraduate course selection and long-term career goals. Moreover, such experiences do not emphasize critical ancillary skills, such as scientific literacy, designing and presenting posters and seminars, and networking. The Fox Chase Cancer Center-University of Delaware Summer Fellowship Program seeks to provide twelve underclassmen with a residential, intensive 10-week summer internship focused on basic laboratory skill acquisition, a cancer research experience tailored to the student's interests, and complementary training and guidance in professional development. Students will be recruited to this program via an introductory, day-long exposure to the Center, which will include brief research laboratory rotations and discussion of cancer-focused, STEM-based careers; this introductory visit is open to all University of Delaware students in the College of Arts and Sciences. Metrics of programmatic success will be obtained through weekly meetings with mentors and students, pre- and post-internship evaluations, and long- term tracking of student career decisions. Through this program, we aim to incorporate students into the cancer research community, inspire them to pursue careers that are critical in the ongoing battle against cancer, and equip them with the tools required to succeed as professionals.