Abstract B174: A unique partnership between the Office of Military Affiliated Communities and the UChicago Cancer Center leads to career pathways in clinical research
Authors: Wall Lauren , Ward Aspen , Odom Terrell , Spratt Amanda , Moellering Sara , Frost-Brewer Camilla , Kipping-Johnson Kristen , Dolan Eileen , Szmulewitz Russell 
Published: September 2024

Background: The Clinical Trials Support Office (CTSO) priority is to recruit diverse individuals who are highly motivated and aligned with our cancer center mission and vision. Due to the competitive market, rates of internal staff turnover, and growing demand for clinical research professionals, the CTSO needed to find new ways to recruit talent but also look for ways to enhance workforce diversity. Goals: Increase exposure and skill building for clinical research jobs by identifying new populations with translatable skills. Create training and education pipelines (leveraging Community Outreach and Engagement (COE), Cancer Research Training Education Coordination (CRTEC), and Plans to Enhance Diversity (PED) to identify and hire the next generation of clinical research professionals. Hire, train, and retain a diverse, equitable, and inclusive CTSO team. Methods: The University Provost’s Equal Opportunity Programs launched the Department of Defense (DoD) SkillBridge Program through the Office for Military-Affiliated Communities (OMAC). This program connects servicemembers and spouses to partners who provide civilian work experience through specific industry training, apprenticeships, or internships during the last 180 days of military service with the goal of easing the transition to civilian careers. Many veterans, transitioning servicemembers and their spouses have experience in operations and logistics or have served as medical professionals in the military. We knew these diverse skills could qualify them for career opportunities within the field of clinical research which led to a partnership between the CTSO and OMAC. Through this unique partnership, the CTSO worked with OMAC to connect these individuals with opportunities in the clinical research space. This collaboration allows the CTSO to provide military servicemembers (and their spouses) with internship opportunities or a full-time position in clinical research roles. Outcomes: Since the launch of the OMAC partnership, 6 candidates (5 servicemembers, 1 spouse) were selected to take part in the CTSO internship program. Internships spanned across data management (2), clinical research coordination (1), regulatory (2), and finance (1). We successfully converted 5 of the 6 interns to direct hires and the CTSO is recruiting additional interns this year. Lessons Learned: This pilot partnership highlights the transferable skills of highly trained servicemembers. Essential skills for complex oncology trials include performing under pressure, accountability, adherence to protocols, health and safety awareness, leadership, teamwork, and integrity. The CTSO benefited from engaging skilled interns and was able to create a pipeline in the saturated Chicago job market. According to OMAC, transitioning from military service poses challenges for servicemembers and their families, including housing, food insecurities, and employment. This partnership allows servicemembers to ease transitional challenges, gain work experience, and get a head start on their next career after military service.

Citation Format: Lauren Wall, Aspen Ward, Terrell Odom, Amanda Spratt, Sara Moellering, Camilla Frost-Brewer, Kristen Kipping-Johnson, Eileen Dolan, Russell Szmulewitz. A unique partnership between the Office of Military Affiliated Communities and the UChicago Cancer Center leads to career pathways in clinical research [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 17th AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2024 Sep 21-24; Los Angeles, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2024;33(9 Suppl):Abstract nr B174.