# Scholars in Oncology Associated Research (SOAR) > **NIH NIH R25** · UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO · 2024 · $177,404 ## Abstract Project Summary/Abstract With the increasing complexity of cancer care, the rising numbers of diverse cancer survivors in the US population, and the increasing global burden of cancer, it is critical that Pritzker School of Medicine (PSOM), one of the most diverse and research-intensive medical schools, prepare a workforce trained to meet these challenges. While the workforce for the continuum of cancer care is interdisciplinary and inter-professional, to date, medical education has remained compartmentalized. In our first funding period, we have transformed our approach to training medical students at PSOM for 21st Century cancer care via the Scholars in Oncology Associated Research (SOAR) program. In a highly innovative 10-week intensive summer program for medical students, SOAR successfully enrolled 63 participants (51 NCI funded, 12 PSOM funded in COVID 2020). Of these, 29% are underrepresented in medicine and 20% did global work. In years when travel resumed, 33% have been global. The SOAR program successfully inspired nearly 70% of participants to continue their cancer research, leading to 52 cancer-related conference presentations and 37 cancer-related publications. SOAR participants had higher research self-efficacy and intent to enter a research career than nonSOAR peers and a deepening of their commitment to cancer research. We propose to continue SOAR to enroll 12 medical students each year, including 4 who will conduct global cancer research at UChicago Global partner sites. Each student will conduct interdisciplinary cutting-edge cancer research with strong mentorship by established NIH funded investigators in our Comprehensive Cancer Center or the Center for Global Health. In addition, trainees will take part in formal instruction in responsible conduct of research, didactic lectures on the science of oncology, interdisciplinary tumor boards, research skill development and career planning activities as well as opportunities for career exploration, networking, and outreach that will increase their knowledge of cancer and motivate them to pursue further education and training for future careers as cancer researchers. Trainees will be supported by a tiered mentorship structure that includes Faculty Track Group Leaders who will be responsible for monitoring progress along milestones of completing their projects and lead peer mentoring sessions where they learn about each other’s research. Using didactic sessions, experiential research training in settings that represent the diversity of cancer research, and exposure to national and global leaders in oncology research across the care continuum, SOAR participants will have a greater appreciation for the interdisciplinary and interprofessional nature of oncology care and research. With rigorous evaluation and planning, we will continue to build on our success with SOAR and determine if SOAR participants show a greater propensity to enter cancer research/oncology careers, while tracking out... ## Key facts - **NIH application ID:** 10935045 - **Project number:** 2R25CA240134-06 - **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO - **Principal Investigator:** OLUFUNMILAYO F. OLOPADE - **Activity code:** R25 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.) - **Funding institute:** NIH - **Fiscal year:** 2024 - **Award amount:** $177,404 - **Award type:** 2 - **Project period:** 2019-06-20 → 2029-08-31 ## Primary source NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10935045 ## Citation > US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10935045, Scholars in Oncology Associated Research (SOAR) (2R25CA240134-06). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10935045. Licensed CC0. --- *[NIH grants dataset](/datasets/nih-grants) · CC0 1.0*