Abstract A diverse cancer workforce is critical for promoting cancer health equity, and research. Effective mentoring is essential for nurturing and fostering underrepresented minority (URM) trainees who face barriers to success in academic medicine. Good mentors guide mentees continued professional development, provide a support system and help navigate barriers. Formal training to improve mentoring skills benefits both the mentor and mentee, particularly trainees from URM backgrounds. This supplement builds on the initiatives of the parent NCI funded R25 Youth Enjoy Science (YES) Training Grant by aiming to strengthen the oncology workforce pipeline by: 1) providing mentored cancer research experience to URM medical students; 2) enhancing the mentoring skills of graduate students and post-doctoral fellows who serve as peer-mentors in academic research settings; and 3) organizing Science Clubs in middle/high schools by Teacher Mentors. We propose to establish a new 8-week summer program for URM medical students in their first year at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School (RWJMS). The Oncology Physician Training Initiative to Maximize Diversity (OPTIMD) will provide clinical shadowing and research experience to URM medical students who will also serve as peer mentors and role models to RUYES trainees. We will also initiate a formal peer-mentor training program for graduate students, post-doctoral fellows and OPTIMD medical students who mentor RUYES trainees. In addition, the Science Club Teacher Mentors initiative will establish after-school Science clubs in 4 middle and high schools in school districts with high percentage of URM students. This contribution is significant because it proposes to diversify the oncology workforce by strengthening the pipeline, in alignment with the strategic goals of Rutgers Cancer Institute and NCI commitment to increase diversity of the cancer research workforce.