# Appalachian Career Training in Oncology (ACTION) Program

> **NIH NIH R25** · UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY · 2020 · $450,448

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT
Appalachian Kentucky has significant challenges associated with health, socioeconomic, and education
disparities. This predominantly rural region not only has the highest cancer incidence and mortality rates in the
United States, it is also one of the most economically disadvantaged, medically underserved, and poorly
educated regions of the country in which less than 1% of residents earn doctoral degrees. These disparities form
the basis for the need to create targeted educational and scientific workforce preparedness and health literacy
intervention strategies for this population. As such, the research, educational, and outreach strengths of the
University of Kentucky's Markey Cancer Center will be leveraged to develop the Appalachian Career Training
In ONcology (ACTION) Program as a Youth Enjoy Science education intervention. The ACTION Program will
immerse underrepresented and underserved high school and undergraduate students from Appalachian
Kentucky in cross-disciplinary mentored research projects, cancer care observational experiences, and cancer
education and career development activities, as well as provide hands-on community and school outreach
opportunities. The overarching goal of the program is to enhance cancer-focused biomedical workforce diversity
in a high-risk, rural population and to increase the community's cancer-related literacy. Expected impacts of the
program include: 1) increasing our students' matriculation into post-secondary, professional, and/or graduate
science degree programs; 2) instilling in our students lifelong commitments to research, education/outreach, or
health care careers focused on the cancer burden and unique challenges in Appalachian Kentucky and beyond;
and, 3) enhancing the Appalachian Kentucky community's understanding of cancer research and clinical care,
linking these facets to the benefits of science education. The overarching goal and the program impacts will be
accomplished through four Specific Aims including: 1) developing participants' cancer research knowledge and
skills through cross-disciplinary faculty-mentored research training experiences; 2) enhancing students' cancer-
focused career preparation by providing didactic cancer education and career development mentoring through
faculty-led courses, workshops, seminars, and career coaching and mentoring; 3) conducting outreach activities
in participant communities to increase the understanding of the research and clinical aspects of cancer and the
importance of science education among universities; primary and secondary school groups; civic organizations;
health care providers; and the families and communities of our student participants; and, 4) evaluating program
progress and impacts, focusing on longitudinal participant data (including tracking progression of participants
through their academic and professional careers) and outreach activity efficacy. Ultimately, the program will
establish a new paradigm for enha...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10001327
- **Project number:** 5R25CA221765-03
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY
- **Principal Investigator:** Bernard Mark Evers
- **Activity code:** R25 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $450,448
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2018-09-18 → 2023-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10001327

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10001327, Appalachian Career Training in Oncology (ACTION) Program (5R25CA221765-03). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10001327. Licensed CC0.

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