Cancer Research Training and Education Coordination

Since its inception in 1999, IUSCCC has embraced education and training as one of its key missions. IUSCCC’s Cancer Research Training and Education Coordination Core (CRTEC) coordinates 60 distinct programs spanning from high school students to faculty. The CRTEC Internal Advisory Committee includes a broad range of stakeholders and leaders and periodically reviews CRTEC activities and critically analyzes program data to make recommendations on existing and new programs to the IUSCCC leadership. As a result of these evaluations, CRTEC has established multiple new initiatives to enhance training at all levels. Our pipeline programs to broaden career opportunities in cancer research added three new activities: American Cancer Society-funded Cancer Research Internship Program, Post-Baccalaureate Cancer Research Program, and Jackson State University Summer Exchange Program. We anticipate further expansion of these programs through two new R25s from the NCI (SPARC-start date 09/13/2023; EPCR-9/19/2023). These R25s will expand activities to middle and high school teachers and students and to first-year medical students. To advance career and research opportunities of graduate students, medical students, and post-doctoral trainees, we developed a trainee-specific pilot funding mechanism, a "Beyond Academia” careers seminar series, and a special IUSCCC trainee member category. To increase the number of trainees in cancer research and oncology careers, a Translational Cancer Biology PhD program was established, and a Multidisciplinary Oncology elective was created for fourth-year medical students. To foster the careers of junior faculty, a junior faculty special interest group and junior faculty-specific pilot funding mechanism were established in addition to one-on-one mentoring. Through the Indiana CTSI, presubmission grant application review and mock study sections were made available to junior faculty. All CRTEC activities were implemented in coordination with the four IUSCCC Research Programs. To assess the success of our programs, we developed a trainee tracking program called IUSCCC Trainee Manager Database (IUTMD). The IUTMD data will be used to modify existing programs and start new initiatives to advance the IUSCCC educational mission. All CRTEC activities are supported with robust infrastructure and financial support from IUSCCC. By bringing together cancer researchers from various IU schools and departments through a regular Seminar Series and Grand Rounds lectures, program-specific annual retreats, career opportunity workshops, and annual Cancer Research Day, CRTEC provides fertile ground for flow of information between basic and clinical science, fostering trans-disciplinary collaborations and engaging the public through activities such as “Simon Says”. All our educational efforts should lead to better patient care by disseminating the latest advances to patient care teams, including community oncologists, nurses, and patient advocates. With CCSG support, CRTEC will continue to evolve with initiatives to broaden the cancer research workforce and prepare trainees for a variety of career opportunities.