The Cancer Training & Education Program is inviting undergraduate students from multiple universities to spend the summer at UF in our STRONGER Program, which will begin May 19 and end July 31. Interns will develop skills as young scientists and explore their interest in cancer research. This program will strengthen their research portfolio and aid their academic competitiveness to successfully apply to advanced degree programs.
Near-peer mentoring approach
Teams will be composed of a graduate student or postdoctoral trainee, who will lead the research project and serve as a direct mentor for an undergraduate intern on the STRONGER Program. Such team pairings offer unique possibilities for collaborations and training by enabling near-peer mentoring.
Project oversight
The program seeks to emphasize curiosity and initiative, intellectual ambition, and independent scholarly work. Each project will require oversight by a UF faculty mentor, but the genesis of the project should clearly belong to the graduate student/postdoctoral trainee leading the project.
Program Requirements
Matched teams will be announced on May 20 in the morning. After this, the interns will complete any training requirements required for their specific research project and transition to join their lab group and work on their research projects with their mentor.
May 20
Research Program
Cancer Research Continuum: From Cells to Society
9-10 a.m.
Keynote Speaker: Duane A. Mitchell, M.D., Ph.D.
Lab selection
10-10:30 a.m.
Research teams will be announced.
May 20-July 31
Transition to Research Lab/Group
Immersive research experience, plus research & professional/career development seminars for the interns.
Intern Commitments
STRONGER Interns must attend the weekly program research and professional/career development seminars. Schedule to be announced.
Mentor Commitments
There will be three program events for the mentors to attend. Schedule to be announced.
- Career Development Program Part 1: Graduate opportunities & cancer research pathways panel discussion.
- Social mixer
- Research Showcase: Poster presentations by interns on the research projects.
Program Benefits
The trainee mentors who participate in this program will:
- Gain leadership and mentoring skills
- Acquire proficiency in managing collaborative research projects
- Enhance professional expertise for future research careers
At the end of the program, each trainee mentor will receive a $400 scholarship award.
Fostering Success in cancer research
STRONGER Program
The STRONGER program offers undergraduate students an immersive 12-week summer internship at the UF Health Cancer Center. Interns will develop their skills as young scientists and explore their interest in cancer research, while benefiting from the expertise of accomplished cancer investigators.
