# Multi-Disciplinary Training grant in Cancer Research

> **NIH NIH T32** · UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO · 2020 · $389,961

## Abstract

Program Summary
Increasingly, new technologies and disciplines are being applied to challenges in translating
fundamental cancer research findings into meaningful clinical outcomes. The Multi-disciplinary
Training grant in Cancer Research (MTCR) is an established pre-doctoral training program at
the University of Chicago supported by NIH/NCI T32-009594 that seeks to provide rigorous
training and relevant experience to graduate students who will make up the next generation of
cancer research leaders and pioneers. The core mission of the MTCR is to train our most
talented pre-doctoral students to dissect and design new ways of attacking cancer as a disease,
whether that be through achieving a better understanding of the mechanistic underpinnings of
cancer initiation and progression, developing novel tools to monitor and modulate cancer cell
responses to therapeutic intervention, or to exploit increased information about human cancer
datasets and new computational methods to identify the most vulnerable cancer pathways.
MTCR leadership carried out a strategic review in 2014 resulting in a re-alignment of
programmatic goals to modernize training provided to pre-doctoral cancer research students at
UChicago. Through more stringent selection of faculty trainers and introduction of new
coursework and training elements in translational cancer research, chemical biology, molecular
engineering and computational approaches, the MTCR program provides training that is multi-
disciplinary and emphasizes problem-based learning and hands-on experience. The MTCR also
promotes career development opportunities through the MyCHOICE program and the Polsky
Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation at the University of Chicago where our trainees are
exposed through seminars, workshops and internships to skills relevant to a career in
biotechnology, science journalism and other research-intensive careers. We have also
developed more effective mechanisms for recruitment of students from diverse backgrounds
through deployment of current trainees and our alumni network, in combination with more
holistic rubrics for recruitment. As a result of all these various program changes in the past
cycle, our program has shown enhanced productivity with reduced time to graduation, improved
training outcomes in terms of publications, fellowship awards and percent trainees going into
research-intensive and research-related careers. Over the next 5 years with renewed funding,
we aim to build on our successful training approaches, with the ultimate goal of ensuring that
the next generation of cancer researchers have the knowledge, skills and tools to make a
meaningful impact on the collective goal of eliminating cancer deaths in our time.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10019468
- **Project number:** 5T32CA009594-32
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO
- **Principal Investigator:** KAY F MACLEOD
- **Activity code:** T32 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $389,961
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 1989-09-22 → 2024-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10019468

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10019468, Multi-Disciplinary Training grant in Cancer Research (5T32CA009594-32). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10019468. Licensed CC0.

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