The STANDOUT program: A model for undergraduate training and career development in behavioral cancer prevention and control

The potential for behavioral science to make meaningful strides in cancer prevention and control is significant, yet more behavioral scientists focused on cancer prevention and control are desperately needed to achieve this end. Unfortunately, progress in behavioral cancer prevention and control (BCPC) research is hampered by several key barriers. These include: 1) the relatively small fraction of scientists who focus on BCPC, 2) limited awareness of BCPC career opportunities when college students consider their advanced educational options, 3) limited opportunities to receive formal early training in BCPC research, and 4) a lack of stewardship of outstanding college students to transition from research labs to successful graduate education. The objective of STANDOUT ( S ummer T raining A ccelerating and N urturing the D evelopment of O utstanding U ndergraduate T rainees; R25CA260125) is to address institutional challenges head-on, by providing multifaceted, immersive summer training and career development opportunities to talented undergraduates attending Hunter College, a large diverse urban university in New York City. Now in its third year, we report on trainee outcomes to date. Undergraduate Trainees (n=41, 16-18/cohort) completed a 10-week summer research internship program. The program includes: 1) formal mentored BCPC research training with scientists at either Hunter College of the City University of New York or the Center for Behavioral Oncology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, 2) biweekly research and career development seminars, 3) research and networking conferences, and 4) continued outreach and mentoring as students advance in their education and training. We conducted pre-post assessments of key outcomes, as well as program satisfaction, and annual follow-ups to track student advancement and accomplishments. Findings indicated that trainees consistently endorsed high levels of satisfaction across multiple program elements, including mentor quality, research experience, and seminars and conferences. Trainees also exhibited significant increases in a number of key research-related skills, including conducting literature reviews, writing, generating and refining hypotheses, conducting quantitative analyses, and presenting research. Notably, trainees' interest in pursuing cancer research increased significantly following the program. Finally, annual follow-up data revealed continued interest in BCPC research, increases in related professional activities, presentations, publications, attendance at scientific conferences, and career and academic advancement (e.g., successful application to graduate programs). STANDOUT is an example of a program that can both train and inspire students early in their academic trajectories to pursue careers aimed at advancing research in behavioral cancer prevention and control.