Cancer Research Training and Education Coordination

The Cancer Research Training and Education Coordination (CRTEC) is embedded within the Duke University School of Medicine and the Duke University Health System, providing a rich, diverse academic environment committed to education, training, research, and clinical care of cancer patients. We support nearly 1,300 active Duke Cancer Institute (DCI)-affiliated trainees from middle school students in the Durham community through junior faculty.

About
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Training Programs
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CRTEC Mission

The mission of the Office of Cancer Research Training & Education Coordination (CRTEC) is to decrease the burden of cancer and inequities associated with cancer by facilitating the training of a diverse cohort of cancer researchers and care providers across the training continuum. The CRTEC Office:

Coordinates training programs for cancer physicians, scientists, and health professionals.
Develops new educational, training, and career development opportunities and resources.
Serves as the liaison with the Duke Clinical & Translational Science Institute (CTSI) and schools within Duke University with the goal of integrating cancer career opportunities across the Duke system.

Email the CRTEC Office.

New DCI Member Onboarding Resource

If you are new to the DCI, this onboarding resource will inform you about the many facets and offerings of the Duke Cancer Institute.

2023 Offerings

Internal Grant Review
CRTEC coordinates an NIH-style mock study section 3 times per year (April, September, December) roughly 1.5 months ahead of the major NIH grant deadlines. Priority will be given to trainees and first-time grant writers. Three expert reviewers provide feedback on the grant. Trainees are invited to serve as one of the reviewers as a means of learning about grant writing and NIH-style grant review.

Cancer Biology Journal Club
The CB Journal club is held 3-4 times per year with the goal of fostering learning about cutting-edge science and promoting community among trainees. Refreshments are provided.

Education and Training Newsletter
We create and distribute a quarterly newsletter advertising upcoming events, funding opportunities, announcements, etc. We also highlight trainee accomplishments (e.g., awards, publications, grants) – please send us your stories!

DCI-Trainee Listserve
Subscribe or email DCITraining@duke.edu to receive relevant information about talks, workshops, funding announcements, jobs, and more.

DCI Research Program Trainee Email Lists
Trainee email lists are available for the seven DCI research programs. Program leaders can communicate directly with trainees within their program. CRTEC will update this list annually.

Trainee Tracking
We conduct an annual census of all DCI-affiliated trainees, as mandated by the National Cancer Institute. In 2023 we will implement software intended to streamline this process while allowing us to track more meaningful metrics beyond a basic headcount. Stay tuned for more information!

DCI Shared Resource Tours
CRTEC coordinates group tours of DCI-shared resources to inform trainees about the myriad of services they can utilize to support their research. Note, all trainees working with faculty affiliated with the DCI are considered DCI-trainee members. DCI trainee members are eligible to apply for DCI Annual Scientific Retreat Presentation Awards.

Grant Writing Support

The Internal Grant Review aims to improve the science and presentation quality of externally submitted grants and provide mentoring to trainees including graduate and medical students, postdoctoral associates, residents, fellows, and junior faculty on grant review and grantsmanship.

Featured Resources for Faculty

Free Toolkits for NIH Grant Preparation for Trainees

The Duke Office of Campus Research Development has free toolkits to guide the preparation of NIH grants for trainees (e.g., NIH F32).

NIH Diversity Supplement

Does your mentor have active NIH funding?
Are you from a background underrepresented in science?
The NIH Diversity Supplement grant has a high success rate. Please consider applying.

Additional Duke Resources

High School Student Training Opportunities

Duke Cancer Institute (DCI) offers research and shadowing experiences to high school students. See the Duke Clinical Translational Science Institute’s (CTSI) Center for Pathway Programs for a comprehensive listing of biomedical research opportunities. We also offer the following programs.

BOOST
The NIH-funded (Science Education Partnership Award) Building Opportunities and Overtures in Science and Technology (BOOST) program is designed to excite middle and high public school students from backgrounds historically underrepresented in STEM fields about science and inspire them to pursue careers in medicine and related STEM fields. BOOST features research experiences, individual mentoring, and coaching by medical and graduate students.

STAR
The Clinical Translational Science Award-funded Duke Summer Training in Academic Research (STAR) Program provides a high-quality, eight-week research experience for high school students, middle and high school teachers, and undergraduate students focusing on pharmaco-epidemiological research and writing. STAR program participants are matched with Duke faculty mentors to work on an original, hypothesis-driven project. They also receive training in scientific writing, applied statistics, the responsible conduct of research, and have the opportunity to shadow a physician.

Undergraduate Training Opportunities

The Summer Undergraduate Research in Pharmacology and Cancer Biology Fellowship Program (SURPH)
This program is for rising undergraduate juniors and seniors interested in future graduate study. This ten-week summer research experience focuses on learning how scientific discovery at the bench can be translated into treating disease. It exposes students to the connection between biomedical research and drug discovery and creates networking opportunities for students to pursue graduate study. This program is hosted by the Department of Pharmacology and Cancer Biology and funded by the ASPET Foundation.

The Summer Research Opportunity Program (SROP)
This program provides a 10-week hands-on experience in biomedical research for under-represented undergraduate students considering a Ph.D. program. The SROP offers direct laboratory experience, weekly research seminars and roundtable discussions, academic and career-planning workshops, GRE preparation, mock interviews for graduate school, and a closing symposium where the students present their research.

Post-Baccalaureate Training Opportunities

Duke Preparing Research Scholars In Biomedical Sciences (PRIME) Postbaccalaureate Research Education Program (PREP)
PRIME-PREP offers a one-year immersive research and career development program for recent baccalaureate graduates. This program is focused on students from backgrounds historically underrepresented in science and medicine who are interested in pursuing a Ph.D. in biomedical sciences.

DIRECT Cancer Fellowship Program
DIRECT is a one-year program for recent baccalaureate graduates interested in cancer research. It provides mentoring and training focused on professional development, science communication, and cancer research. It is focused on individuals from backgrounds historically underrepresented in science interested in pursuing graduate or medical school.

Pre-Doctoral/Medical School Training

T32 Training Grants
Duke CRTEC supports pre-doctoral training through several institutional T32 training grants, including the T32 in Developmental and Stem Cell Biology directed by Debra Silver, Ph.D.; the T32 in Cell and Molecular Biology, directed by Sue Jinks-Robertson, Ph.D. and Michael Boyce, Ph.D.; the T32 in Tissue Engineering, directed by Charles Gersbach, Ph.D.; and the T32 in Viral Oncology directed by Micah Luftig, Ph.D.

Duke Scholars in Molecular Medicine Oncology and Regenerative Medicine
This nine-month program is designed for Ph.D. candidates and postdoctoral associates who are studying basic sciences to gain hands-on experience in oncology. It includes rotations in clinics and the hospital, a case conference series, a clinical trial-oriented journal club, and a special seminar series in which the groups interact with accomplished translational scientists.

Duke School of Medicine Third-Year Program
This program is unique in its dedication to a 10- to 12-month rigorous scholarly experience in biomedical-related research. Study programs include Radiation Oncology and Molecular Medicine with an Oncological Sciences track.

Biosciences Collaborating for Research Engagement (BioCoRE)
BioCoRE offers highly-mentored research experiences, programs designed to build skills in scientific excellence, structured mentoring experiences between peers, graduate students, and faculty, and personalized career advising to individuals historically underrepresented in science.

Postdoctoral and Junior Faculty Training Opportunities

The DCI provides an exceptional training environment for outstanding medical fellows completing training in cancer care. Fellows may apply to the following programs: adult medical hematology/oncology, pediatric hematology/oncology, radiation, neuro-oncology, and gynecological oncology.

Duke CRTEC supports post-doctoral training through highly successful institutional T32 training grants. These include:

T32 in Viral Oncology directed by DCI member, Micah Luftig, PhD
T32 in Surgical Oncology directed by DCI member, H. Kim Lyerly, MD

There are also broader training grants that serve as a foundation for cancer research, including the T32 in Aging directed by DCI member, Harvey Cohen, MD; and the T32 in Genomic Medicine directed by DCI member, Kathleen Cooney, MD.

Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA)-funded TL1 Program
The TL1 consists of two programs: a Pre-Doctoral program and a Post-doctoral program. The predoctoral program is a two-year master’s program in clinical research for medical students. The postdoctoral program provides two years of funding for postdocs.

Robert J. Lefkowitz Society
Directed by Gerard Blobe, MD, Ph.D., this program provides mentoring and research support for physician-scientists in the residency and fellowship programs at the Duke University School of Medicine who are pursuing careers with a primary focus on basic and translational research. The Lefkowitz Society provides mentoring, networking, and funding for travel to scientific conferences, including the annual ASCI meeting in Chicago. Exceptional residents and fellows are provided resources to carry out research projects during their clinical training.

Junior Faculty Training/Mentoring Opportunities

DCI Internal Grant Review Process
CRTEC organizes an Internal Grant Review opportunity with the goal of improving the science and presentation quality of externally submitted grants, while providing mentoring to junior faculty and post-doctoral fellows on grant review and grantsmanship. Grant reviews will take place annually in April, September, and December, approximately two months prior to NIH deadlines. If you would like to take advantage of this service for the April 2023 cycle, please complete this brief form by January 18, 2023. Contact DCITraining@duke.edu with questions.

DCI Pilot Project Funding
The DCI directly supports junior faculty engaged in cancer-related research through pilot project funding. There are two application periods annually. Six to eight projects are funded at $50,000/each annually.

Duke Physician-Scientist Strong Start Awards Program
Supports new laboratory-based physician-scientists as they develop independent research programs.

ADVANCE-UP
The Academic DeVelopment, Advocacy, Networking, Coaching, and Education for Underrepresented Populations (ADVANCE-UP) Program supports underrepresented racial and ethnic faculty by creating a sense of community, fostering promotion, and increasing representation in leadership positions.

Leadership Development for Researchers (LEADER) Program
The Duke LEADER program is a 6-month series designed to equip junior faculty researchers with the knowledge and professional competencies to effectively lead dynamic scientific research enterprises, including discovering and developing leadership skills, promoting collaboration, fostering innovation and teamwork, and managing conflict.

Academic Leadership, Innovation, and Collaborative Engagement (ALICE) Program
The ALICE program is for mid-career women faculty in the SOM. It provides in-depth opportunities for leadership skill development, personal reflection and goal setting, peer-mentoring, and structured 360 feedback in a year-long program that focuses on personal leadership skills designed to help individuals more deftly navigate leadership in academic medicine.

Duke Office for Research Mentoring
Offers a variety of mentoring resources for faculty, including a mentor training curriculum, mentoring compact examples, and mentoring assessment resources.

Other Training and Education Opportunities

The DCI supports training across the continuum by sponsoring:

Monthly seminar series
Annual retreats for the seven research programs
Annual DCI-wide Scientific Retreat Shared Resources and Developing
Shared Resources

Health Disparities Cancer Research Education
The Duke Cancer Health Disparities P20 SPORE, funded by NIH, focuses on developing new and improving existing interventions and therapies through a better understanding of cancer disparities prevalent in the Duke Cancer Institute catchment area. The Developmental Research Program (DRP) of the P20 SPORE funds two young investigators annually with the goal of growing the cancer disparities research community.