Division of Cancer Prevention and Population Sciences
UT MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
Cancer Prevention Research Training Program
Open to Graduate Students, Medical & Nursing Students, and Undergraduate
Underrepresented Minority Students
Applications are accepted year round, the 1st of every month!
FUNDED BY AN R25E TRAINING GRANT FROM THE NATIONAL CANCER INSTITUTE
STIPEND SUPPORT FOR RESEARCH TRAINING IN CANCER PREVENTION
Short - Term Research Experience (3 or 6 Month Duration)
Program Description
The Cancer Prevention Research Training Program at the UT MD Anderson Cancer Center prepares scientists
and clinicians to achieve leadership roles as research investigators in the field of cancer prevention and control.
The Program is designed to expand the perspective of the trainees by moving them from their base of strength in
a particular specialty and to equip them with additional knowledge of the other cancer prevention and control
disciplines. This cross-disciplinary training is accomplished by attending seminars and by participating in
ongoing mentored research. Students are immersed in the type of cross-disciplinary research environment typical
of cancer prevention and control research and encouraged to pursue careers in cancer prevention research.
Graduate students, medical and nursing students will have hands-on experience in ongoing cancer prevention
and control research projects under the mentorship of an established investigator on the faculty of the UT
MD Anderson Cancer Center. The MD Anderson Cancer Center has existing patient databases and accessible
populations for prevention and control research. Faculty research mentors supervise extensive epidemiologic,
laboratory and clinical facilities. Educational and research objectives for the 3- or 6-month period will be
mutually agreed upon by the student, the academic advisor, and the MD Anderson faculty mentor. Students will
be expected to devote part-time effort to this research training and may not have other employment.
Eligibility
Students may be from backgrounds in the basic biomedical sciences, medicine, biomedical statistics,
epidemiology, behavioral and social sciences, nursing, and related public health disciplines. Students must be
U.S. citizens or lawfully admitted permanent residents of the United States. Applicants with visas are not
eligible.
3-Month Appointments:
• Undergraduate Students must be a member of a minority group, under-represented in the basic and
behavioral sciences.
• Both non-minority and under-represented minority Graduate Students are eligible to apply.
• Graduate Students must be currently enrolled in an accredited graduate program or medical school in basic
biomedical sciences, biomedical statistics, epidemiology, behavioral and social sciences, nursing, and related
public health disciplines or in medical school.
NOTE: Current 3-month awardees may request an additional 3 months if eligible.
The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center is an equal opportunity employer and a smoke-free workplace. This program encourages applications from women
and minority students. This program is supported by the National Cancer Institute, Grant R25E CA 056452.
www.cancerpreventiontraining.org
As of 6/8/2011
Page 1
6-Month Appointments:
Applicants must hold a Master's degree or equivalent from appropriate health science disciplines, and:
EITHER,
• be currently enrolled in a Doctoral program and within 18 months of their qualifying exam, and
• intend to apply subsequently for a multi-year, Pre-doctoral fellowship supported by our NCI R25T
Cancer Prevention Research Training Program.
OR
• be currently enrolled in a Doctoral program and be within 12 months of completing their dissertation,
and
• intend to apply subsequently for a multi-year, Postdoctoral fellowship supported by our NCI R25T
Cancer Prevention Research Training Program.
Remuneration
Participants in the program receive a stipend of $2,166 per month. The stipend is not a salary; it is meant solely
to subsidize students so that they may participate in the program. This stipend is subject to change.
Overview of Application Process
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Applicant identifies an appropriate mentor or mentors and writes a brief proposal in consultation with the
mentor (see below for How to Identify a Mentor);
Applicant submits proposal to CPRTP office along with additional supporting documents (see below);
CPRTP Advisory Committee reviews applications;
CPRTP office notifies applicants of Advisory Committee decision;
If accepted, applicant submits additional required documents via MD Anderson "Discover" system.
Deadlines and Submission: Applications are accepted year round, on the 1st of every month. The entire
application process takes approximately 4-6 weeks. All documents must be submitted as a single electronic file
(preferably pdf) and e-mailed to apply@cancerpreventiontraining.org. Detailed instructions for compiling your
application documents are provided below.
How to Identify a Mentor
Applicants must select an MD Anderson faculty mentor who is engaged in cancer prevention research to
supervise the proposed research project within one or more of the faculty member’s ongoing research projects.
Applicants should identify potential mentors from the online MD Anderson Research Report or Mentors
Page and contact them directly concerning the possibility of mentorship . If you select an Instructor as your
primary mentor, please contact Dr. Shine Chang before you apply. In close consultation with your mentor and
academic advisor, you must develop and submit a proposed research project description that may become the
foundation of a master’s thesis or the preliminary study for a doctoral dissertation.
The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center is an equal opportunity employer and a smoke-free workplace. This program encourages applications from women
and minority students. This program is supported by the National Cancer Institute, Grant R25E CA 056452.
www.cancerpreventiontraining.org
As of 6/8/2011
Page 2
Application Submission Requirements
Important Information:
•
•
•
Be sure that all required elements of the application, as listed below, are contained within the body of the
application and are within the page limits noted in these instructions. The committee will not review
required elements which are omitted or which are placed in appendices.
All letters of support and letters of recommendation must be signed, recently dated, and on the author’s
letterhead. Electronic signatures are acceptable. Letters submitted without these features may result in your
application being considered incomplete.
Immunizations are required if you are awarded this fellowship. The required MD Anderson
Immunization Form must be signed by a physician or licensed health care provider. We will email this
official form to you if you are awarded the fellowship. The TB Skin Test must be current within one year of
your start date and entered onto the MD Anderson Immunization form.
UT MD Anderson Cancer Center, nor the Cancer Prevention Research Training Program (CPRTP), will not be financially
responsible for any costs incurred for immunizations regardless of whether you are awarded a fellowship.
SINCE IMMUNIZATIONS CAN DELAY YOUR OFFICIAL START DATE, WE RECOMMEND THAT YOU GET
YOUR IMMUNIZATIONS AND TB SKIN TEST AS SOON AS YOU SUBMIT YOUR APPLICATION!
•
Format: Put your name and the date in the top right corner of each page and add page numbers to the bottom
center of each page. Use 12 point font and no less than one-inch margins.
Required Application Documents
1. Checklist and Coversheet (fillable pdf form). Please enter all information, print and sign this form.
ONLY the applicant's signature is required at the time of submission. The Academic Coordinator
and CPRTP Staff will sign this form after our office receives the complete application.
2. A complete proposal, not to exceed five pages, describing your proposed program of research in any
discipline related to cancer prevention, in the following format:
a. Heading at the top of the first page, to include:
i. your name and degree
ii. your current institution
iii. specialization
iv. a brief descriptive title for your proposed project
v. the name and department of your proposed MD Anderson faculty mentor. A secondary
mentor may be named and may be on the faculty of another institution (committee chair or
advisor).
b. Your proposed project and faculty mentor: You must explain how your proposed research
experience is related to cancer prevention. If the proposed project is also related to an ongoing
research grant or grants, include the title and abstract of the grant(s), length of grant funding, and
name of the Principal Investigator. Your proposal must describe your role in the project(s),
research aims that you will address relevant to cancer prevention, methods you will use, and
expected outcomes, such as abstracts, presentations and publications.
c. Your proposed research timeline. You must show a planning timeline of your proposed
research activities for each week of the 3-month fellowship period. You may use any format, but
it should give the Review Committee a clear idea that you can accomplish your objectives within
the 3- or 6-month time period
The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center is an equal opportunity employer and a smoke-free workplace. This program encourages applications from women
and minority students. This program is supported by the National Cancer Institute, Grant R25E CA 056452.
www.cancerpreventiontraining.org
As of 6/8/2011
Page 3
d. Educational objectives. Describe new skills you expect to learn as a result of the fellowship and
how they relate to your career goals.
e. Statement of intent to pursue an R25T fellowship. Applicants submitting a proposal for a 6month appointment should indicate on the proposal their intention to apply for the R25T
fellowship and how the 6-month appointment will lead to it.
f. Describe any special skills that make you especially suited to carry out proposed project.
g. Other comments you wish to add that will aid in the review of your application.
h. Your mentor must review and endorse the proposal by signing the last page. Proposals
without signatures will not be accepted.
i. Mentor’s letter of support: Should be on letterhead, signed, and addressed to Dr. Shine Chang,
Ph.D., Director, UT MD Anderson Cancer Center Cancer Prevention Research Training Program.
In addition to submitting your letters by email, we will need the originals in our office before an
appointment can be finalized. Mentor should indicate on their support letter for a 6-month
appointment that the R25E project could turn into a dissertation project that would be the basis of
the R25T application. FOR MENTORS: To ensure that our program meets the highest
standards in selecting fellowship awardees and to enhance the review process, please print and
use the following Guidelines for Writing a Letter of Support Template (pdf) for your
fellowship applicant. Following these guidelines will increase the likelihood that the trainee’s
application is successful.
3. Two (2) Letters of recommendation: one from the academic advisor and one from a professor.
Both letters should be on letterhead, signed and addressed to: Dr. Shine Chang, Ph.D., Director, UT
MD Anderson Cancer Center Cancer Prevention Research Training Program.
The letter of recommendation from the professor must be from a professor who has taught or
supervised the applicant for at least one year. We will accept scanned letters on-line as long as they are
on letterhead and signed. In addition to submitting your letters by email, we will need the originals in our
office before an appointment can be finalized.
4. For 6-month applicants only, please include:
a. A memo stating the date (or proposed date) of your doctoral Qualifying Exams;
b. A letter from your dissertation chair stating when you will complete your dissertation, signed
and on letterhead.
5. Applicant’s Curriculum Vitae or resume, including previous research projects, dates, and faculty
supervisors (applicant’s name in top right corner of each continuation page and pages numbered).
6. GRE or MCAT scores, as appropriate. Copies or unofficial documents are acceptable for the application
process, but if you are awarded the fellowship, you will need to submit official documents.
7. Current graduate school transcripts. Copies or unofficial documents are acceptable for the application
process, but if you are awarded the fellowship, you will need to submit official documents.
8. CPRTP Fellowship Requirements Memo (pdf), signed by you and your mentor.
The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center is an equal opportunity employer and a smoke-free workplace. This program encourages applications from women
and minority students. This program is supported by the National Cancer Institute, Grant R25E CA 056452.
www.cancerpreventiontraining.org
As of 6/8/2011
Page 4
Application Submission Instructions
Your entire completed application must be e-mailed as a single attachment, preferably a PDF file. Some of the
required forms provided are fillable pdf forms and cannot be completed using the Read-Only version of Adobe
Acrobat. If you have the Read-Only version, please download the latest copy of Adobe Reader here or the trial
version of Adobe Acrobat X Pro located here.
Select one of the options below to submit your application:
Option 1: If you have access to a scanner, print and combine all of your final documents in the correct
order, with the checklist on top. The filename should be the same as the email subject line: “Last Name,
First Name - R25E 3 Month Application" or "Last Name, First Name - R25E 6 Month Application," and
emailed to apply@cancerpreventiontraining.org. Please remember to sign and date all forms that require a
signature. If you work on or near the UT MD Anderson Cancer Center’s campus, you are more than welcome to use our office
computer and scanner. Please see “OFFICE LOCATION” below, for our address.
Option 2: If you have the trial or purchased version of Adobe Acrobat 8 or 9 Standard or Pro, you can
combine all of your documents (Word, PDF, etc.) into one PDF file, using the links below. However, the
Checklist and Coversheet is an Adobe .xml (fillable) form and cannot be merged with the remaining
documents. You can submit this as a separate document.
•
•
Adobe Acrobat 8 merging instructions for "Create merged PDFs & PDF packages”
Adobe Acrobat 9 merging instructions for "Create merged PDFs & PDF packages”
Review Process for Applications
The Advisory Committee consists of faculty members from both the basic science and clinical areas, including
all four department chairs within the Division of Cancer Prevention and Population Sciences and the Division’s
Vice President. All of these faculty members are engaged in a wide variety of peer-reviewed, externally funded,
cancer prevention research.
The Advisory Committee conducts the review of applicants by evaluating the research proposal for relevance to
cancer prevention. Occasionally, the Committee recommends additional appropriate research mentors and
provides helpful suggestions to applicants to include in their full applications for external review. The
committee then selects students based on the merit of the applicant’s proposed educational objectives and the
acceptance of the applicant by the assigned faculty mentor. After Advisory Committee review of the
application, applicants will be notified of the committee’s decision.
The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center is an equal opportunity employer and a smoke-free workplace. This program encourages applications from women
and minority students. This program is supported by the National Cancer Institute, Grant R25E CA 056452.
www.cancerpreventiontraining.org
As of 6/8/2011
Page 5
Review Criteria
1. Has the applicant indicated the relevance of the proposed project to cancer prevention?
2. Is the mentor appropriate?
3. In the letters of support from the mentor(s), is there sufficient evidence of active involvement in the
student's research proposal?
4. Is the schedule or pace of the student's project appropriate (e.g., accrual progress) such that the student's
proposed research is feasible within the funding proposed time frame?
5. 6-month proposal’s only: 6-month proposals presume that the student will subsequently apply for a
multi-year fellowship in cancer prevention.
a) Is this 6-month traineeship likely to serve as a good foundation for the cancer prevention
fellowship?
b) Has the applicant stated his or her interest in cancer prevention and intention to apply for a
multi-year cancer prevention fellowship?
c) Have the mentor(s) provided their support for the applicant to develop an application for a
multi-year cancer prevention fellowship?
Training Program Course Selection
To achieve knowledge of a variety of areas within the field of cancer prevention and control, each applicant must
develop a tailored educational curriculum that incorporates both the core content areas and the specific skills and
knowledge needed for the individual’s training experience. Applicants may develop their coursework plan by
viewing this list of cancer prevention-related courses.
Contact Information
Dee Tello, Academic Coordinator
Cancer Prevention Research Training Program
713-745-2495
dtello@mdanderson.org
Shine Chang, Ph.D., Director
Cancer Prevention Research Training Program
713-563-3573
shinechang@mdanderson.org
Carrie Cameron, Ph.D., Associate Director
Cancer Prevention Research Training Program
713-794-1476
ccameron@mdanderson.org
Office Location
The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center
Cancer Prevention Building - Floor 7
CPB 7.3550
1155 Pressler Street - Unit 1365
Houston, Texas 77030
The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center is an equal opportunity employer and a smoke-free workplace. This program encourages applications from women
and minority students. This program is supported by the National Cancer Institute, Grant R25E CA 056452.
www.cancerpreventiontraining.org
As of 6/8/2011
Page 6