# Ignite-Engage-Sustain: A Comprehensive Approach to Motivate, Involve, Educate, and Mentor Native American Students and Their Communities in Cancer Prevention, Treatment and Research

> **NIH NIH R25** · UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA MEDICAL CENTER · 2024 · $394,313

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
The University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC)
College of Medicine and the University of Nebraska Omaha's Biology Department and its programs in Native
American Studies and in Medical Humanities, will leverage the trust and cooperative spirit that has been
garnered working with tribal schools and communities in Nebraska, South Dakota and Arizona to develop,
implement, and evaluate cancer-related science curricula and research experiences aimed to support Native
American students. The UNMC in community-based cancer prevention
combined with the Munroe- excellence in educational outreach and the first-rate basic and
translational cancer research in state-of-the-art laboratories at the Eppley Institute in the NCI-designated Fred
& Pamela Buffett Cancer Center are consolidated in the UNMC Youth Enjoy Science program (UNMC-YES)
for the benefit of Native American students' education in all aspects of cancer research. The long-term goals
of this project are to promote student interest in the sciences, foster a more science-literate public,
and increase the number of Native Americans entering health and science careers with a particular
emphasis in cancer research. UNMC-YES aims to: 1) Cultivate and sustain trusting community partnerships
to expand outreach initiated in the original grant cycle to rural and urban Native American students, 2)
Develop, disseminate and implement culturally relevant, technology-based cancer education curricula with
Native American populations, and 3) Expand Native American student horizons through hands-on, culture-
and standards-based science activities, research experiences and exposure to health science careers. These
aims will be accomplished through innovative and evidence-based 1) outreach and engagement, 2) curriculum
development and dissemination, and 3) provision of research experiences. UNMC-YES will generate and
deliver cancer-related activities, lessons and research experiences to Native American students in grades 6
through undergraduate. UNMC-YES will also provide teachers with research experiences, workshops,
mentoring, and in-service education to facilitate implementation of project curriculum with Native American
students. Student participants will experience a range of highly intensive activities such as summer research
camps to higher frequency activities such as school-based science clubs, mentored cancer research
internships, and ongoing research talking circles. Professional evaluations will be made at all stages, with
major emphasis on the educational, professional and community impact of the project. Pre- and post-test
measures will analyze participant outcomes. Stakeholder perspectives and community systems for reducing
cancer will be assessed to inform continuous improvement. Our objective is not only to increase Native
American representation in cancer-related health professions and research but also to advance the health of
Native Peoples through improvements in cancer prevention,...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10932902
- **Project number:** 5R25CA221777-07
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA MEDICAL CENTER
- **Principal Investigator:** MAURICE GODFREY
- **Activity code:** R25 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $394,313
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2017-09-20 → 2028-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10932902

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10932902, Ignite-Engage-Sustain: A Comprehensive Approach to Motivate, Involve, Educate, and Mentor Native American Students and Their Communities in Cancer Prevention, Treatment and Research (5R25CA221777-07). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-25 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10932902. Licensed CC0.

---

*[NIH grants dataset](/datasets/nih-grants) · CC0 1.0*