# Research Education Core

> **NIH NIH U54** · TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY · 2020 · $290,560

## Abstract

Summary
The main goal of our research education program is to increase the number and quality of minority researchers
dedicated to making an impact on cancer research. We have a previously established research education
program that supports summer cancer research for medical students at Meharry Medical College (MMC) and
Vanderbilt; summer research for undergraduates at Tennessee State University (TSU); and provides support
for graduate students at MMC and TSU. These programs have proven successful at progressing students into
careers in cancer research. In this application our focus is to engage students early in a research path in order
to augment recruitment and retention into graduate programs and careers in cancer research. With that in
mind, we propose to formalize a Pathway to Discovery Program to recruit high school juniors and seniors into
cancer research and continue this experience through graduate/medical school, with particular focus on
underrepresented minorities (URM). Our Partnership is particularly suited to target African American or Black,
Hispanic or Latino students at the undergraduate (TSU) and graduate student level (MMC and TSU). High
school students will be recruited from two academic STEM magnet schools in the Nashville metropolitan
school district with predominant URM student population profiles. In order to achieve our goal, we propose the
following aims. In aim 1, we will implement a pathway program that provides early and continuous research
education for high school and undergraduate students leveraging the cancer research opportunities at our
Partnership Institutions. This will be accomplished with : 1) a high school cancer research experience (HSCRE)
both in the summer and academic year with scholarship opportunities and multi-tier peer and faculty
mentoring; 2) early undergraduate cancer research experience (EUCRE) in the summer and academic year
providing the opportunity for engagement in projects supported through peer and faculty mentoring; and 3) a
late undergraduate cancer research experience (LUCRE) in the summer and academic year to conduct
mentored-independent research projects. In aim 2, we propose to recruit and support master and doctoral
graduate students to engage in cancer research in order to diversify the cancer research workforce and
develop research interests in the area of cancer disparities. Finally, in aim 3, we provide research educational
opportunities to medical students to contribute to clinical population sciences and translational cancer research
with focus on cancer disparities.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10005171
- **Project number:** 5U54CA163066-10
- **Recipient organization:** TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** MARGARET M WHALEN
- **Activity code:** U54 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $290,560
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2011-09-23 → 2021-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10005171

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10005171, Research Education Core (5U54CA163066-10). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10005171. Licensed CC0.

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