College of Science and Technology, Florida A&M University, Tallahassee, FL, 32307, USA.
College of Nursing, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA.
J Cancer Educ. 2021 Oct;36(5):914-919. doi: 10.1007/s13187-020-01762-w.
Lack of substantive research experiences and technical skills mentoring during undergraduate studies leaves many underrepresented minority (URM) students unprepared to apply to competitive graduate programs. As a part of our ongoing effort to increase the pipeline for the development and training of successful URM scientists in biomedical sciences with focus on reducing cancer health disparities, the Florida-California Cancer Research Education and Engagement (CaRE) Health Equity Center was launched in 2018. Funded through an NIH/NCI U54 grant mechanism, the CaRE Center is a triad partnership among Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University (FAMU), a minority-serving institution, University of Florida (UF), and University of Southern California (USC) Cancer Center. One of the objectives of the triad partnership is to promote the coordination and implementation of the training of the next generation of Black and Latinx biomedical scientists in Florida and California. An important component of the CaRE program is the Research and Education Core (REC) designed to coordinate the training of URM students and researchers at different levels in their academic and professional developments. The undergraduate cancer research training program under FAMU-CaRE Center is a 3-year (2018-2021) project to identify, train, mentor, and provide the URM undergraduate students with the support network they need to flourish in the program and beyond. In its year-1 funding cycle, the program has made significant progress in developing a novel framework for an undergraduate cancer research education and engagement program at FAMU, one of the forefront minority institutions in the nation. The mentored research program is complemented with professional development and engagement activities, including cancer research seminars, workshops, and community outreach activities. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the strategies implemented for an effective partnership, the leadership and mentoring skills, and outcomes from the year-1 experiences. In addition, we present the progress made in advancing the pool of underrepresented minority students with scientific and academic career progression paths focused on cancer health disparities.
在本科学习期间缺乏实质性的研究经验和技术技能指导，使得许多代表性不足的少数族裔（URM）学生无法准备申请有竞争力的研究生课程。作为我们正在进行的努力的一部分，旨在增加发展和培训成功的 URM 科学家的渠道，这些科学家专注于减少癌症健康差距，佛罗里达州-加利福尼亚癌症研究教育和参与（CaRE）健康公平中心于 2018 年启动。该中心通过 NIH/NCI U54 赠款机制资助，是佛罗里达农业和机械大学（FAMU）、少数民族服务机构、佛罗里达大学（UF）和南加州大学（USC）癌症中心之间的三方合作伙伴关系。三方合作关系的目标之一是促进协调和实施培训下一代佛罗里达州和加利福尼亚州的黑人和拉丁裔生物医学科学家。CaRE 计划的一个重要组成部分是研究和教育核心（REC），旨在协调不同层次的 URM 学生和研究人员的培训，以促进他们的学术和专业发展。FAMU-CaRE 中心的本科癌症研究培训计划是一个为期 3 年（2018-2021 年）的项目，旨在确定、培训、指导和为 URM 本科生提供支持网络，帮助他们在该计划及以后取得成功。在其第一年的资助周期中，该计划在开发 FAMU 本科癌症研究教育和参与计划的新框架方面取得了重大进展，FAMU 是全国少数族裔前沿机构之一。指导研究计划辅以专业发展和参与活动，包括癌症研究研讨会、讲习班和社区外展活动。本文旨在讨论实施有效的伙伴关系的策略、领导力和指导技能，以及第一年的经验成果。此外，我们介绍了在推进少数族裔学生群体方面取得的进展，这些学生具有以癌症健康差距为重点的科学和学术职业发展道路。
