Cancer Research Training and Education Coordination

University Of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison WI

Investigators

Linked publications, trials & patents

Abstract

ABSTRACT – CANCER RESEARCH TRAINING AND EDUCATION COORDINATION The UW Carbone Cancer Center (UWCCC) is a highly impactful hub for integrating and forwarding cancer research training and education at the University of Wisconsin (UW) and across the state. Our UWCCC Cancer Research Training and Education Coordination office (CRTEC) facilitates a robust and diverse community of well-trained scholars (218 members, >300 staff, >400 trainees), who seek to improve cancer awareness, prevention, discovery, and treatment. CRTEC’s leaders successfully integrate activities from K-12 through trainees, to early career faculty and oncology providers, by providing throughout their careers the concepts of cancer research, oncogenesis, treatment, public health and scientific communication. Our center emphasizes CRTEC with a steering committee comprised of Associate Director for Faculty Development and Education, Dr. Anna Huttenlocher, (TM), 10 faculty, staff, and trainees to prioritize, recommend and monitor CRTEC efforts. The CRTEC annual budget is an approximate $600 - 700K/yr (CCSG supports 24%). In addition, administration established the CRTEC office led by an Assistant Director and 1.5 FTE, who support and execute cancer research training and education priorities which include 1) Facilitating the governance and decision-making of strategic cancer education, research training, mentoring, and development opportunities, which includes center- led initiatives, institutional collaborations, and external partnerships. 2) Organizing and enabling oncology education leaders to continuously assess current and future needs, evaluate opportunities, and incorporate priorities in both short-term and long-term educational and training goals. 3) Serving the mission of cancer discovery and patient-centric care by fostering a diverse pipeline of future researchers and clinicians. CRTEC infrastructure successfully achieved many high impact accomplishments during the award period, including: 1) Increased funded peer-reviewed training projects by 21%; 2) Integrated diversity mission with appointment of our inaugural Faculty Director of DEI, Dr. Narayan (CPC) to the CRTEC steering committee. 3) Promoted 77 cancer members, which is 35% of membership (25% URMs, 20 leadership roles, and 10 female faculty to leadership roles); 4) Formed inaugural educational coordination infrastructure, enabling 11 new initiatives and an additional $78K in >40 trainee and professional development awards; 4) Sponsored new summer cancer research programs at both the high school (>40 students, 27% URM) and undergraduate level (8/yr) with a focus on involving underrepresented students; 5) Collaborated with our campus Office of Training Grant Support to pilot Phase 1 of the Activity Tracking Tool, which enables our center to gather data in EVAL® on trainees, mentors, and mentees of T awards; 6) Organized a trainee-run society that has implemented a travel award program, diversity-working group, and student organized seminar series; 7) Increased number of funded F individual fellowship awards by 250%.