This is the first competing continuation application for the Vanderbilt Clinical Oncology Research Career Development Program (VCORCDP). The goals and objectives of the program remain unchanged from our original proposal: to train physicians for careers in academic-oriented, clinical oncology therapeutic research. The VCORCDP was originally designed to include three oncology disciplines and recruited candidates from fourth and fifth year surgical residents and second and third year fellows in pediatric or medical oncology/hematology. Based in part to the great success of the K12 sponsored training program, and in light of the decision to submit a recent NCI training grant to support the Division of Hematology and Oncology junior-level fellows, we are requesting support to restructure and expand the K12 VCORCDP to include senior level fellows and/or junior faculty candidates from four existing Vanderbilt oncology disciplines: (1) Adult Hematology and Oncology, (2) General Surgery/Surgical Oncology, (3) Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, and (4) Radiation Oncology. Trainees will participate in a comprehensive, didactic lecture series which focuses on the important aspects of clinical research (20% time commitment). All trainees will also participate in a mentored, patient-oriented, hypothesis-driven clinical research project which exposes them to Vanderbilt's extensive multidisciplinary research community (80% time commitment). Trainees are supported for a minimum of two years and research projects involve multiple mentors with both clinical and laboratory research experiences. The proposed training program faculty consists of thirty-eight mentors who are experienced clinical investigators or basic scientists within the Vanderbilt-lngram Cancer Center. All of the proposed faculty mentors have peer-reviewed research support directly related to cancer as well as a proven track record in mentoring fellows and junior faculty in an academic environment. Trainees successfully completing the two-year didactic lectures and patient-oriented research will be awarded a Master of Science in Clinical Investigation degree fromj Vanderbilt. Support is being requested for three training positions per year. The health and medical care system is creating an environment that places greater priority and demand on well-designed clinical trials. Cost-effective therapies, novel treatments and new diagnostic procedures need to be evaluated while ensuring patient safety and quality assurance. However, there are a number of obstacles limiting our ability to succeed in this area including a significant national concern regarding the shortage of physicians who choose academic careers in clinical research. The Vanderbilt-lngram Cancer Center is in a strong position to provide a strong training experience within a rich research environment, both of which are critical factors in determining successful careers in cancer research.
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