SUMMER UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAM TO EDUCATE RADIATION SCIENTISTS (SUPERS)

辐射科学家教育暑期本科生项目（超级）

• 批准号: 8139710
• 负责人: Sydney M. Evans
• 金额: $ 29.79万
• 依托单位: UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 财政年份: 2010
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2010-09-08 至 2015-05-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/8139710
• 关键词: Area; Basic Science; Bioterrorism; Cancer Biology; Career Choice; Clinical; Communities; Discipline; Education; Educational process of instructing; Environment; Equipment; Functional disorder; Funding; Future; Goals; Healthcare; Ionizing radiation; Journals; Laboratories; Learning; Life; Malignant Neoplasms; Medical; Mentors; Methodology; Minority; Modality; Outcome; Pennsylvania; Physicians; Physics; Population; Radiation; Radiation Oncology; Radiation Physics; Radiation therapy; Radiation-Induced Cancer; Radiobiology; Recruitment Activity; Research; Research Personnel; Research Support; Research Training; Schools; Science; Scientist; Students; Techniques; Touch sensation; Training; Training Programs; Translational Research; Underrepresented Minority; United States National Aeronautics and Space Administration; United States National Institutes of Health; Universities; Woman; Work; anticancer research; arm; base; cancer imaging; cancer therapy; career; clinically relevant; experience; flexibility; follow-up; improved; lectures; medical schools; meetings; oncology; programs; public health relevance; success; trend

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The number of active research scientists with expertise in all aspects of radiation has been steadily decreasing for more than two decades, despite the increasing use of ionizing radiation in medical and non medical settings. To fill this need we propose the SUMMER UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAM TO EDUCATE RADIATION SCIENTISTS (SUPERS). We hypothesize that by (1) providing undergraduate students with a supportive environment that teaches them the underpinnings of cancer biology, radiation biology, radiation physics, and cancer imaging (2) introducing them to state-of-the-art laboratory techniques and equipment, and (3) exposing them to the clinical (translational) relevance of radiation research, we will encourage a significant number of these students to pursue cancer and radiation research career trajectories. Particular emphasis will be placed in the recruitment of minorities and women into the program, two populations who are substantially underrepresented in upper professional ranks of radiation research departments. There are 2 specific aims to our program: In Aim 1, we will provide a training program to expose talented undergraduate students to radiation biology, physics and cancer imaging. This program will combine both formal lecture-style education with hands-on research training in the laboratories of selected preceptors. The SUPERS program has the flexibility of allowing undergraduate students to participate for two consecutive summers. In Aim 2, we will establish strategies to engage students who take part in this program to pursue a career in cancer and radiation-related research. We will (a) expose students to scientists and physicians who have made significant contributions to cancer research, emphasizing the connection to clinical impact of these contributions. (b) encourage students to present their work at a research retreat to increase their confidence in their ability to communicate with other scientists, (c) establish personal relationships with the students to encourage them to stay in touch with preceptors and program leaders after completing the SUPERS program, and (d) establish a program to track outcome (career trajectories) of the SUPERS students and evaluate the programs success. By completing the goals of this program, we anticipate that we will increase both the number and quality of scientists engaged in cancer and radiation-related research, which should have a substantial impact in areas from healthcare to bioterrorism. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: The overall goal of this proposal is to identify, recruit and train talented undergraduate students, in the basic and translational aspects of Radiation Biology, Physics and Cancer Imaging. These three related fields have seen a steady decline in scholarly participation during the last two decades. Particular emphasis will be placed in the recruitment of racial minorities and women into the program, whom are substantially underrepresented in the radiation sciences. By completing the stated goals of this program, we anticipate that we will increase both the number and quality of future scientists engaged in Radiation-related research which should have a substantial impact in improving diverse life arenas such as health care and bioterrorism.

描述（由申请人提供）：尽管在医疗和非医疗环境中电离辐射的使用越来越多，但二十多年来，在辐射各个方面具有专业知识的活跃研究科学家的数量一直在稳步减少。为了满足这一需求，我们提出了辐射科学家教育暑期本科生计划（SUPERS）。我们假设，通过（1）为本科生提供一个支持性环境，教他们癌症生物学、放射生物学、放射物理学和癌症成像的基础知识（2）向他们介绍最先进的实验室技术和设备， (3) 让他们接触放射研究的临床（转化）相关性，我们将鼓励其中大量学生追求癌症和放射研究的职业轨迹。将特别重视招募少数族裔和妇女加入该计划，这两个群体在辐射研究部门的高级专业队伍中所占比例严重不足。我们的计划有两个具体目标： 在目标 1 中，我们将提供一个培训计划，让有才华的本科生接触放射生物学、物理学和癌症成像。该计划将把正式的讲座式教育与选定导师实验室中的实践研究培训结合起来。 SUPERS 项目具有灵活性，允许本科生连续两个暑假参加。 在目标 2 中，我们将制定策略，吸引参加该计划的学生从事癌症和辐射相关研究的职业。我们将 (a) 让学生接触对癌症研究做出重大贡献的科学家和医生，强调这些贡献与临床影响的联系。 (b) 鼓励学生在研究静修会上展示他们的工作，以增强他们对自己与其他科学家交流能力的信心， (c) 与学生建立个人关系，鼓励他们在完成研究后与导师和项目负责人保持联系SUPERS 计划，以及 (d) 建立一个计划来跟踪 SUPERS 学生的成果（职业轨迹）并评估计划的成功。 通过完成该计划的目标，我们预计将增加从事癌症和辐射相关研究的科学家的数量和质量，这将对从医疗保健到生物恐怖主义等领域产生重大影响。 公共卫生相关性：该提案的总体目标是在放射生物学、物理学和癌症成像的基础和转化方面识别、招募和培训有才华的本科生。在过去的二十年里，这三个相关领域的学术参与度不断下降。将特别重视招募少数族裔和妇女加入该计划，这些人在辐射科学领域的代表性严重不足。通过完成该计划的既定目标，我们预计将增加未来从事辐射相关研究的科学家的数量和质量，这将对改善医疗保健和生物恐怖主义等不同的生活领域产生重大影响。