Abstract C05: Understanding the Mentoring Needs of Underrepresented Early Stage Investigators: Designing a responsive mentoring initiative
Authors: Fleisher Linda , Fleisher Linda 
Published: March 2017

The Cancer Disparities Research Network (CDRN) is one of the NCI-funded Geographic Management Program (GMaP) regions which launched in 2009. Funded by the Center to Reduce Cancer Health Disparities (CRCHD), the coordinating office for the CDRN is located at Fox Chase Cancer Center and serves thirteen states including Minnesota, Illinois, Ohio, Michigan, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Wisconsin, Indiana, Iowa, Connecticut, Rhode Island and Massachusetts. CDRN has shown tremendous growth and ingenuity as it pursues the goals of both the overall GMaP Network and the interests of its regional membership. The goals of the CDRN focus on increasing disparities-related information dissemination and resource/best practice sharing within the region, sharing opportunities for underrepresented trainees/students and investigators to the biomedical cancer enterprise in support of increasing workforce diversity, fostering collaborations in cancer research/diversity training, and enhancing access of underrepresented investigators and trainees located within the region to career development and mentoring opportunities to enhance competitiveness.

Utilizing the strengths of our diverse steering committee, CDRN developed a survey targeted at our cohort of early stage investigators who have participated in our Travel Scholarship program. (Total N = 25; Response Rate = 19, or 76%.) The purpose of the survey was to gain a better understanding of how the CDRN can support our early stage/junior investigator (ESI) community in their cancer research and health disparities related research and career development, with a focus on mentoring opportunities and gaps in current programs. The online survey contained 26 questions (5 demographic, 7 background, 14 mentoring/career development). Comments were anonymous, though twelve provided names.

Respondents reported their multiple research areas, and the largest group was basic science 42%), followed by behavioral (37%) and translational (32%). Mentoring gaps included scientific (48%), career planning (31%) followed by works in progress, publications and cultural or gender specific (25%). All indicated that they were interested in mentorship and 84% said they would be interested in a CDRN sponsored 6 month program with a matched CDRN senior investigator (which might not be at their institution). Other CDRN activities that they found helpful were travel scholarships (84%), dissemination of funding opportunities (79%) and participation in CDRN activities (63%). In order to design a responsive and valued mentoring program these surveys results provide insights into the needs of our ESI in the CDRN network. We have developed a pilot mentoring program to match CDRN ESI's with senior investigators in our network for a 6 month contracted mentoring opportunity focused on their specific mentoring needs. The survey will also be distributed to a larger cohort of ESI's in the CDRN network this summer to further refine the mentoring program and expand it to other ESI's in our network.

Citation Format: Linda Fleisher, Linda Fleisher. Understanding the Mentoring Needs of Underrepresented Early Stage Investigators: Designing a responsive mentoring initiative. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Ninth AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2016 Sep 25-28; Fort Lauderdale, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2017;26(2 Suppl):Abstract nr C05.