Project Summary Institutional efforts are required to achieve the level of diversity, equity and inclusion that will ensure recruitment and advancement of individuals now underrepresented in academic medicine. Siteman Cancer Center (SCC) is committed to overcoming structural barriers that have limited diversity in the cancer research workforce. In alignment with the NCI National Cancer Plan Goals 4 and 8, to eliminate inequities and to optimize the workforce, SCC will implement a strategy to support a sustainable Trainee Navigation program. The overarching goal of the SCC proposal is to provide personalized navigation to resources and services that enhance the career development and trajectory of underrepresented in medicine (URiM) and women trainees. This SCC effort is a collaboration between Cancer Research Training and Education Coordination (CRTEC) and Plan to Enhance Diversity (PED). Importantly, CRTEC and PED staff will collaborate to ensure that new and current trainees benefit from navigation support and programming, and that all SCC trainees receive exceptional support during graduate school, postdoctoral work, and as they transition to the next stage of their careers. To support trainees, particularly URiM and women, our primary focus is the development of organizational infrastructure and processes to implement cancer trainee navigation that promotes resource access and assists in building a climate conducive to persistence. A PED staff member will be trained as a navigator to provide hands-on support to assist scholars with their educational advancement and career development activities. Our objectives are to: (1) Identify competitive and promising underrepresented scholars and investigators through the CRTEC and PED led collaborations with minority serving institutions and (2) Provide professional preparation and networking opportunities for scholars through travel support, grant writing and informational workshops, seminars, and trainings on cancer and cancer health disparities research, mentorship, and affinity groups. The primary outcomes of the SCC Effort to Strengthen the Research, Training, and Outreach Capacity of Trainees initiative are to (1) increase the proportion of URiM and women trainees participating in cancer and cancer health disparities research; (2) conduct activities that improve the training climate; (3) increase URiM and women trainee participation in career enhancing activities; increase intention to participate in grant writing related to cancer research; and increase in grant submissions from URiM and women trainees.

Project Narrative Siteman Cancer Center (SCC) is committed to overcoming structural barriers that have limited diversity in academic medicine and the cancer research workforce. The overarching goal of the SCC initiative to Strengthen Research, Training, and Outreach Capacity is to provide personalized trainee navigation to cancer research supports. SCC staff will collaborate to implement infrastructure and processes that increase: trainee awareness and use of shared cores and resources appropriate to their interests; identification of mentors, health disparities and community engaged research opportunities; and grant writing, scientific editing, and travel supports to advance the career development and trajectory of SCC trainees.