The Cancer Training & Education Program is inviting undergraduate students from multiple universities to spend the summer at UF in our STRONGER Program. 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 doctoral student or postdoctoral trainee, who will lead the research project and serve as a direct mentor for an undergraduate intern in 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 after the keynote presentation. 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. The program concludes July 31.
Intern Commitments
STRONGER Interns will participate in an immersive research experience. They must also attend the weekly 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: Career Panel
- Social mixer
- Research Showcase
Program Benefits
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 Institute Interns will develop their skills as young scientists and explore their interest in cancer research, while benefiting from the expertise of accomplished cancer investigators.
