# Research Education Core

> **NIH NIH U54** · UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS BOSTON · 2021 · $545,169

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
The UMass Boston Dana-Farber/Harvard Cancer Center Partnership’s Research Education Core (REC) aims
to bridge the divide that exists in the biomedical workforce by increasing the number of UMass Boston
students, particularly those from underrepresented populations, to pursue graduate degrees and cancer/cancer
health disparities research careers. Utilizing evidence-based training that fosters the growth and persistence of
underrepresented students in the sciences, the REC provides trainees with science enrichment education and
mentored research experiences which emphasize professional development, inclusive support, and team
science across multiple disciplines. The framework of the REC focuses on three areas that are critical to the
development of research scientists: (1) acquisition of scientific knowledge; (2) development of communication
skills; and (3) individualized career development. The Core will provide four research education programs:
undergraduate, post-baccalaureate, graduate, and post-doctoral. Over the course of the grant cycle the REC
seeks to support 60 undergraduates (15-20 per year, minimum one semester or summer, 90% multi-
semester), 30 graduate students (6-8 per year, most multi-semester), 15 post-baccalaureate students (3 per
year for 1-2 years), and 2 nursing post-doctoral scientists (1 per two-year fellowship) in innovative research
education programming. Partnership faculty will mentor trainees and fellows at all levels. Recognizing that the
needs of individuals vary and that they change at each educational level, the REC will provide individualized
and developmentally appropriate experiences aimed at preparing students/trainees for the next phase of their
academic and research careers. The REC will continue to provide research opportunities for students at the
intersection between the natural/physical sciences and social/behavioral sciences. Over the past 15 years, the
Research Education Core (REC) has provided 347 trainees/fellows across the scientific preparation levels with
mentored research experiences and scholarly, scientific, and professional development that prepares them to
pursue advanced degrees & fellowships, and then to become cancer, health disparities, and/or biomedical
science researchers. The REC will continue to use innovative methods to assess the extent to which the
Partnership research education program is preparing trainees and fellows to successfully pursue a productive
cancer/cancer health disparities research career. The REC will also advance scientific knowledge on effective
research education programs through the submission of manuscripts to peer-reviewed publications regarding
the impact of Partnership activities on the diversity of the biomedical workforce and effective strategies for
developing research scientists from underrepresented backgrounds.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10327768
- **Project number:** 2U54CA156734-11
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS BOSTON
- **Principal Investigator:** Liya Escalera
- **Activity code:** U54 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $545,169
- **Award type:** 2
- **Project period:** 2010-09-28 → 2026-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10327768

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10327768, Research Education Core (2U54CA156734-11). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10327768. Licensed CC0.

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