The UAB-ENhancing Research In Cancer-related Health professions (ENRICH) Program

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ABSTRACT The goal of the ENRICH (ENhancing Research In Cancer-related Health professions) Program is to immerse trainees in the scientific process, foundational discovery, multidisciplinary translational frameworks, and the breadth of opportunities for careers in cancer research, capitalizing on the environment and commitment from the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) and the O’Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center (O’Neal). The ENRICH Program capitalizes on the existing infrastructure of O’Neal and our cancer research community of exceptional scientists leading paradigm-shifting translational, basic, clinical and public health research enriched by partnerships with the O’Neal Cancer Training and Career Development Office, UAB Physician Scientist Development Office, and UAB Center for Clinical and Translational Sciences Training Academy, to establish an innovative 10-week summer Program for 30 medical, dental and master-level graduate students from a diverse spectrum of disciplines including public health, basic science, health professions, nursing and pharmacy from UAB and Samford University. The ENRICH Program is unique in that it will provide a community of trainees each summer with a mentored, cancer research-focused experience (Aim 1) complemented with a structured forum focused on transferrable skills including communication, personal and professional development, rigor and reproducibility and research ethics. By including topics in cancer biology, clinical research, epidemiology, outcomes, and implementation and dissemination science, we have the opportunity to showcase the convergence of multidisciplinary translational science to the trainees (Aim 2). We will evaluate the short-, intermediate- and long- term impact of the ENRICH Program by implementing a comprehensive evaluation of the ENRICH Program (Aim 3). Through these efforts, ENRICH will prepare a diverse and highly-skilled workforce to attain competence in inquiry-based cancer research, knowledge of the state-of-the-art tools to apply to hypothesis-generation, and have a notable impact on the quantity and quality of next generation of scientists and cancer care professionals – individuals that will knowledgeably and compassionately serve their community.