# Surgical Oncology Research Training at Indiana (SORTI)

> **NIH NIH T32** · INDIANA UNIVERSITY INDIANAPOLIS · 2024 · $411,824

## Abstract

SUMMARY
Surgeon-scientists are an underrepresented population in academic medicine, and federally funded physician-
scientist-led research has been in decline over the past decade. Substantial challenges are faced by surgical
trainees seeking research training. Importantly, surgical resident training programs with ample protected time for
dedicated experiential research training have effectively contributed to the “pipeline” of successful, independently
funded surgeon-scientists. These researchers have meaningfully impacted surgical oncology patient care and
scientific knowledge. The proposed Surgical Oncology Research Training at Indiana (SORTI) program brings
together the extensive multidisciplinary oncologic expertise at the Indiana University School of Medicine (IUSM)
and the Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center to create a multidisciplinary, two-year research training program
consisting of (1) a Health Services and Outcomes Research (HSOR) Track and (2) a Basic Science and
Translational (BTS) Research Track. The SORTI program will draw upon the Department of Surgery’s 30-year
experience of training in BTS oncology research and the 15-year surgical oncology HSOR resident training
collaboration between the Surgical Outcomes and Quality Improvement Center (SOQIC), the Regenstrief
Institute, and the American College of Surgeons (ACS) Cancer Programs. Since 2011, SOQIC has trained 44
surgical research trainees who have gone on to oncology-focused academic careers. During a two-year,
intensive training period (100% protected time), trainees in the SORTI program will be immersed in
multidisciplinary, experiential research training, using a team science approach, with tailored mentorship and
focused didactic teaching (Master’s degree for those without prior advanced degrees). Each trainee will have an
experienced and diverse Mentor Team (content and methodological experts), tailored to their training needs.
The SORTI program core curriculum will include courses in study design and analytic approaches, best practices
and ethics in research, communicating research, and career development. Trainees will participate in the
workshops, seminars, and research training opportunities at Indiana University and at relevant surgical and
oncologic professional societies. Trainees will design and execute research projects that culminate in
presentations at major national conferences and publications in high-impact journals. Continuous monitoring and
iterative program improvement will be achieved by engagement of a highly accomplished External Advisory
Committee and robust evaluation by Indiana University’s Center for Evaluation, Policy, and Research. The
ultimate goal of the SORTI program is to increase the number of investigators who successfully achieve
academic careers as independently funded surgical oncologic scientists. Indiana University School of Medicine
is uniquely positioned to assure the success of the SORTI program and continuing to develop future surgi...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10846195
- **Project number:** 1T32CA282070-01A1
- **Recipient organization:** INDIANA UNIVERSITY INDIANAPOLIS
- **Principal Investigator:** KARL Y BILIMORIA
- **Activity code:** T32 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $411,824
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2024-09-01 → 2029-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10846195

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10846195, Surgical Oncology Research Training at Indiana (SORTI) (1T32CA282070-01A1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-26 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10846195. Licensed CC0.

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