Abstract PO-066: Establishing long-term tracking to evaluate the effectiveness of a partnership-led training program to advance the careers of cancer health disparities trainees from underrepresented groups

Abstract

Abstract Women and racial/ethnic minorities are underrepresented in the biomedical, clinical, behavioral, and social sciences. One of the main goals of the Synergistic Partnership for Enhancing Equity in Cancer Health (SPEECH), a comprehensive regional cancer health disparity partnership between Temple University/Fox Chase Cancer Center (TUFCCC) and Hunter College (HC), is to diversify and expand the pool of researchers trained to conduct research on cancer and cancer health disparities. Specifically, the SPEECH partnership’s efforts towards mentorship and training involve several cores that capitalize on numerous strengths in training and research education across TUFCCC, an NIH-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center, and HC, a Minority Serving Institution, to facilitate the professional enrichment of students and junior investigators underrepresented in cancer research. To effectively monitor and evaluate the training activities under the SPEECH partnership, we established a long- term tracking system. The development of the tracking system began by identifying the fields of research training (basic, translational, behavioral/population science), levels of trainees (undergraduate, graduate, early-stage-investigators), and types of training activities (Summer Cancer Research Institute, Mentored Research Projects, Cancer Research Fellows, etc.). Next, was the identification of several outcome measures, including trainee’s interests, preparedness, and professional accomplishments in cancer and cancer health disparities research. To facilitate data collection, we established a web-based, centralized evaluation portal to document trainees’ and mentee information and achievements, as well as research grant submissions and publications within the SPEECH partnership. For long-term tracking of trainee education and career progressions, we intend to maintain contact with previous and on-going trainees through emails and social media. In the interest of comparing the understanding of cancer biology and of health disparities, we intend to conduct a cross-sectional survey of a random sample of SPEECH trainees and a random sample of non-SPEECH trainees with the goal of identifying any differences between the two groups in familiarity with and understanding of cancer biology and of health disparities. We will present the process of developing the long-term tracking system, our achievements, as well as challenges. Citation Format: Lin Zhu, Marsha Zibalese- Crawford, Sarah-Jane Dodd, Carolyn Y. Fang, Yin Tan, Olorunseun O. Ogunwobi, Grace X. Ma. Establishing long-term tracking to evaluate the effectiveness of a partnership-led training program to advance the careers of cancer health disparities trainees from underrepresented groups [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Virtual Conference: Thirteenth AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2020 Oct 2-4. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2020;29(12 Suppl):Abstract nr PO-066.