PLAN TO ENHANCE DIVERSITY (PED) PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT The Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey’s (CINJ) catchment area is home to the 4th most diverse population in the nation and, as such, deserves an oncology workforce that reflects this diversity. CINJ established the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (ODEI) in 2021, led by a newly recruited Associate Director for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and Chief Diversity Officer, Dr. Haejin In. The mission of PED is to foster systemic and structural changes that will accelerate the diversification and inclusive excellence of Center trainees, Members, and leaders. The ODEI has two full-time staff and an interprofessional steering committee to develop, implement, and evaluate diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts across the institution in collaboration with Cancer Research Training and Education Coordination (CRTEC), Community Outreach and Engagement (COE), Center Administration’s Office for Faculty Recruitment and Affairs (cFRA), and senior leadership. ODEI has conducted a comprehensive needs assessment and gap analysis, including evaluation of Member demographics, satisfaction surveys, and focus groups. This assessment suggested that, although CINJ faculty and leadership viewed diversifying the workforce as a positive goal, there was limited awareness of existing racial and gender inequities and no structured programming to address these deficiencies. Analysis also showed a critical lack of under-represented groups (URGs) among trainees, faculty, and leadership at CINJ and revealed issues of inequities in URGs in the faculty applicant pool, less ability to recruit faculty and retain faculty who are from URGs, as well as fewer URG faculty in leadership positions. To address these gaps, the PED has four aims: 1) foster a more diverse, inclusive, and equitable organizational environment; 2) increase diversity in undergraduate students, graduate students, and post-doctoral trainees; 3) promote the implementation of equity-based processes and evidence-based strategies to diversify faculty recruitment and retain diverse faculty; and 4) champion the creation and implementation of programs to identify, develop, and sponsor diverse faculty for leadership. To achieve these aims, ODEI will implement a rigorous and regular assessment and evaluation of programs and outcomes, and work collaboratively with CTREC, COE, and cFRA. PED success and impact will be measured by metrics of engagement and satisfaction of DEI Program participants, increases in URG and women applicants in each stage of the hiring process, and revised policies that are rooted in equity-minded, evidence-based practices.