CURE Program
The CURE program, provides research training and academic and professional enrichment activities for highly motivated local underserved students (high school and undergraduate). The program is funded by a grant from the National Cancer Institute and Johnson & Johnson. This program accepts 12 students each year. Clinical and basic science investigators at CINJ serve as faculty advisors. All advisors have established research programs and expertise in mentoring students. Students spend 90% of their time working on their research projects under the guidance of a faculty mentor (advisor) and a peer mentor, who is typically a post-doctoral fellow in the advisor’s group. Additional educational and professional support is derived from a course in cancer biology developed specifically for the program, a number of seminars held at CINJ and special lectures and professional enrichment activities organized specifically for the students in the program. Trainees are required to commit at least four hours per week (one afternoon per week) during the academic year and 40 hours per week during the summer, to their research and program activities for a minimum of two years. Each trainee spends the first year of the program in developing a small independent research project in addition to participating in the various lectures, seminars and other educational activities associated with the program. Trainees are also required to maintain a minimum GPA of 3.2, participate fully in program activities, write a research manuscript and do a research presentation based on their project towards the end of their training. We believe ongoing evaluation is critical to the improvement of the quality of the experience we provide to the trainees in CINJ CURE program. Therefore, in addition to tracking the trainees for five years after leaving the program to perform outcome assessment, the program is evaluated by the trainees and the mentors on an ongoing basis. Dr. Chaudhary, CINJ's Director of Research Education, Honored for Work with Underserved Students
For further information, contact: Sunita Chaudhary, Ph.D. Director, Research Education The Cancer Institute of New Jersey Sunita.Chaudhary@umdnj.edu 732-235-9869
|
Continuing Umbrella for Research Experience (CURE) Program