Cancer Research Training and Education Coordination

ABSTRACT The overall mission of the Cancer Research Training and Education Coordination (CRTEC) core at Roswell Park is to develop the next generation of cancer research professionals through coordinated implementation of rigorous educational programs across the training continuum. CRTEC is responsible for a comprehensive educational and training portfolio that includes immersive cancer research experiences for K-12 students, a long-standing (65+ years) summer internship program for high school, college and medical students, new nurse residency and nursing scholars program, graduate programs in the Cancer Sciences, postdoctoral training, and oncology- focused residency and fellowship programs. CRTEC also coordinates a faculty mentoring program and career development activities to enhance academic productivity and promote a healthy work-life balance. CRTEC activities are integrated with the cancer center’s mission, informed by our catchment area needs. A combination of sustained institutional commitment, CCSG-support for research programs and shared resources and a pool of experienced faculty mentors enable successful delivery of these training programs. Working closely with the Offices of Community Outreach and Engagement (COE), CRTEC will continue to develop and implement K-12 cancer educational programs. CRTEC will facilitate recruitment and retention of faculty through faculty mentoring programs and CCSG/cancer center leadership pipelines. We will continue to measure key productivity and engagement metrics including programmatic reach, and opportunities for improvement based on trainee and mentor feedback for all CRTEC activities to ensure successful training experiences.