NCI's Plans and Priorities for Cancer Research identifies training of new cancer scientists as one of its """"""""most important challenges,"""""""" and emphasizes the need for increased involvement of racial and ethnic minorities in cancer research careers. Increasing minority participation in research careers has also been a major priority in public health, an interdisciplinary field whose contributions to cancer prevention and control have been significant, and largely unique. Because a more diverse public health work force can better understand and serve the needs of diverse communities, well-trained minority public health researchers are needed to ensure improvements are made in eliminating health and cancer disparities. We propose a two-year pre-doctoral education program to prepare African American graduate students in public health to help eliminate cancer disparities through cancer prevention and control research. The program consists of five main elements. For students: (1) special coursework in understanding and eliminating cancer disparities; (2) mentored experiential learning in cancer prevention and control research and policy; (3) mentored independent research; and, (4) professional network-building with an interdisciplinary group of African American scholars from a national pool of researchers whose work addresses cancer and/or disparities. For faculty: (5) skill building in cross-cultural mentoring. To enhance future adoption of the program by other institutions, these program components will be designed for dissemination and the proposal identifies specific products and mechanisms for distribution. The School of Public Health and Graduate School at Saint Louis University are strongly committed to this program, and have pledged 85% tuition scholarships for students involved. ? ?

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Cancer Institute (NCI)
Type
Education Projects (R25)
Project #
1R25CA102628-01
Application #
6677680
Study Section
Subcommittee G - Education (NCI)
Program Officer
Gorelic, Lester S
Project Start
2003-09-01
Project End
2008-08-31
Budget Start
2003-09-01
Budget End
2004-08-31
Support Year
1
Fiscal Year
2003
Total Cost
$311,246
Indirect Cost
Name
Saint Louis University
Department
Other Health Professions
Type
Schools of Public Health
DUNS #
050220722
City
Saint Louis
State
MO
Country
United States
Zip Code
63103
Kreuter, Matthew W; Griffith, Deidre J; Thompson, Vetta et al. (2011) Lessons learned from a decade of focused recruitment and training to develop minority public health professionals. Am J Public Health 101 Suppl 1:S188-95