Meharry Medical College seeks funding to support the continuation and expansion of the Meharry Cancer Summer Research Program (SuRP), a research experiences program that has trained several students from institutions across the United States. This program will address persistent challenges in cancer outcomes by increasing student engagement in cancer research and supporting the development of a broader oncology and cancer research workforce. Meharry Medical College is an academic health science center in the United States with a long-standing record of producing highly trained physicians, dentists and scientists, including a significant number of biomedical PhDs. The proposed summer program will provide an intensive, hands-on research experience for undergraduate and medical students that focuses on cancer and cancer outcomes. A faculty of experienced cancer investigators from Meharry Medical College and Vanderbilt Ingram Cancer Center will serve as research mentors for the program. A nationwide search will be conducted to identify and select 10 undergraduate students and 5 rising second year medical students per year who are interested in careers in medicine and biomedical science. Students will complete short-term 9-week (medical) or 10-week (undergraduate) research projects that focus on cancers that are prevalent within the United States. Projects will include multiple types of cancer research, such as basic science research, translational research, bioinformatics, epidemiological and community-based studies. Additional program enrichment activities will include a cancer biology mini-course to teach participants fundamental concepts common to all cancers. Students will gain exposure to clinical cancer research via molecular tumor boards and simulation-based education. A weekly cancer research seminar will allow students to interact with multiple oncologists and cancer researchers and learn about career opportunities within the areas of cancer research, cancer outcomes and oncology. Sessions on the responsible conduct of research will be held on a weekly basis. Students will also participate in career and professional development workshops that will 1) allow undergraduate students to explore career options and obtain information needed to apply and successfully gain entrance into M.D. and Ph.D. training programs and 2) allow medical students to successfully complete medical training and apply for residency programs. At the end of the summer, participants will share their research findings through oral and poster presentations. Program directors and staff will track participants through the remainder of their undergraduate/medical training and post graduate experiences to evaluate whether program goals were met, and identify areas for improvement. Data from participant and research mentors will also be used to evaluate and enhance the program.