Cancer Research Career Enhancement and Related Activities

ABSTRACT: CANCER RESEARCH CAREER ENHANCEMENT
The UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center (LCCC) has a long history of successful training
programs and other mentoring, career enhancement and educational activities, across the continuum of career
stages. These include: pre-college and undergraduate students, pre- and post-doctoral fellows, junior faculty
and rising senior faculty, health care and biomedical research professionals and LCCC research staff and
administrators. Since its inception, the Cancer Research Career Enhancement (CRCE) Core has focused on
integrating these current UNC LCCC activities and strengths in cancer research career enhancement and
addressing gaps in the training portfolio. Led by faculty and staff with extensive training, mentorship, research
and leadership experience, the Core is well equipped to meet the evolving needs of a large, diverse and
dynamic Cancer Center. The specific activities offered by the CRCE include: 1) Identifying, integrating, and
organizing resources for cancer-related education, training, and career development; 2) Promoting cancer
research education and training for our professional degree candidates and post-graduate trainees; 3)
Providing training, development, and continuing education opportunities for faculty of all stages; and 4)
Stimulating excitement and interest in cancer research through educational outreach to the broader non-cancer
community. The CRCE promotes these initiatives through efforts such as: the LCCC-NC School of Math and
Science pre-college cancer research program; LCCC undergraduate cancer research training including an
NCI-funded partnership with a nearby Historically Black College or University (North Carolina Central
University); engagement with the North Carolina Community College system for cancer education/training;
multiple NCI T32 training programs for pre- and post-doctoral fellows; the Lineberger-Lauterborn Nursing
Oncology Fellowship program; the Junior Faculty Career Development Group; and multiple meetings and
events that add value to the LCCC by facilitating cross-disciplinary collaboration and innovation.
These training opportunities have yielded impressive results such as 85% of previous trainees from our LCCC-
North Carolina Central University PARTNERs program attending graduate or medical school. LCCC total direct
costs funding from 67 training awards, including 11 NCI T32 awards, totals $10.7M. Over the next five years,
the CRCE will improve or systematize ongoing activities by: broadening our partnership efforts with the LCCC
COE; developing methods for collecting and analyzing outcomes from CRCE programs including longitudinal
tracking of all trainees; expanding the NC Community College program; and designing new programs to serve
a broader base of CRCE constituents. CRCE also strives to increase the diversity of students, trainees, and
faculty at UNC and in the larger cancer research community.