Behavioral Oncology Education & Career Development

Consistent with recent NCI priorities, there is an urgent need for new investigators to develop skills to broaden the translation of established and emerging cancer prevention and control strategies. Transdisciplinary learning experiences in Behavioral Oncology must evolve to include technology, policy, data science, cancer care delivery, community engagement, dissemination, and implementation science to enhance impact on patients and communities. Moffitt Cancer Center (Moffitt) is uniquely positioned to train the next generation of Behavioral Oncology scientists as the only NCI-Designated Comprehensive Cancer Center in a state with the nation’s second highest cancer burden. This renewal builds upon a 20-year history of highly successful postdoctoral Behavioral Oncology training. Among trainees from the recently funded cycle who have completed training, 92% have continued in cancer research careers; of those, 58% hold tenure track faculty positions. In addition, an impressive 42% of trainees received NIH funding as a direct result of participating in our T32 grant writing seminar. Notably, during the current funding period (2019-2024), trainees were from a variety of academic and professional disciplines, reflecting our intentional and ongoing efforts to ensure independent investigators spanning key areas of the cancer control continuum. In this renewal, our T32 program will retain components of mentoring, structured learning activities, and immersion within the cancer center that have been key to our success, while adding novel components that address the changing landscape of Behavioral Oncology. Innovations include a conceptual framework that further guides our use of empirically supported strategies to enhance trainee success and the addition of new mentors and training opportunities to align with the abovementioned priority areas. In summary, trainees of the T32 Behavioral Oncology Program are expected to go on to successful research careers with a transdisciplinary and translational focus.