UAB CANCER RESEARCH EXPERIENCES FOR STUDENTS (CaRES) PROGRAM Administrative Supplement Proposal ABSTRACT The COVID-19 pandemic has had a great impact on our Cancer Research Experiences for Students (“CaRES”) cancer education and training program (5R25 CA076023), resulting in increased costs and unanticipated expenses. All research projects and instructional activities carefully planned by our faculty for students in summer 2020, were canceled. In keeping with NCI and university policies, CaRES program faculty and staff continued to draw our salaries, as we further developed our program. We have retained our student support funds, but we need faculty and staff support to offer CaRES for 30 students in 2021. We request an administrative supplement to pay faculty and staff salaries, computer costs, and student recruitment costs, for 12 months (beginning in September 2020). CaRES provides paid short summer cancer research internships at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) and at HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology in Huntsville, Alabama, for medical students as well as students in graduate public health, veterinary medicine, and pharmacy. We recruit students at six Alabama universities: UAB, University of South Alabama, Auburn University, Alabama College of Osteopathic Medicine, Samford University, and Tuskegee University. Because we recruit state-wide, CaRES stimulates collaborative cancer research, education, and service. A supplement will allow CaRES faculty an opportunity to focus on recruitment at Tuskegee University; enhance our instruction on career development and responsible conduct of research; develop social media platforms to stay in touch with applicants and CaRES students; and conduct research on educational and cultural determinants of career choice. Our long-range goal is engaging participants to consider cancer research careers. CaRES is preparing the next generation of cancer researchers for Alabama, where our needs are great, due to low per capita income, limited educational achievements, and a large minority population that is medically under-served and at high risk for cancer. July 7, 2020