Cancer Prevention Summer Research Experience

You are be eligible if you meet ALL of the following requirements

• You are a U.S. citizen or U.S. permanent resident legally approved to remain in the United States for the entire summer program.
• You are enrolled in a degree-granting program in the United States during both the spring and fall semesters of the program year.
• You can provide proof of enrollment for the spring semester through the Slate application system.
• You will reside in Houston, Texas, for the entire 10-week program.
• You will state an interest in cancer prevention in your personal statement.
• You can commit to the entire 10-week program without other summer employment, testing, internships or coursework that conflicts with the program.

Applicant priority

The CPRTP Summer Research Experience is limited to 25 student positions per program year. Because the number of qualified applicants exceeds the number of available positions, eligible applicants are generally prioritized in the following order:

1. Graduate students currently enrolled in an M.P.H., M.S., or other relevant master’s degree program.
2. Doctoral students currently enrolled in a Ph.D., DrPH, or other research-focused doctoral degree program.
3. Health profession doctoral students, including first-year M.D. and D.O. students.
4. Undergraduate students who will be rising juniors or seniors and are enrolled at a four-year U.S. college or university.

Applicants at all eligible academic levels are encouraged to apply; however, meeting the eligibility requirements does not guarantee selection.

M.D. and D.O. students

Because the CPRTP Summer Research Experience requires participation for the entire 10-week program, medical students should carefully review their academic calendars and other required commitments before applying. Students who cannot participate through the final day of the program, including required final presentations, should not apply.

First-year medical students are also encouraged to review the MD Anderson summer programs specifically designed for first-year medical students and consider whether that program is a better fit for their training goals before selecting CPRTP.

Graduating in May?

Applicants graduating in May of the program year must provide either proof of application or proof of acceptance into a medical, graduate or other degree-granting program. Upload the documentation in Slate along with your proof of enrollment. All items should be merged into a single document.

Additional requirements for M.D. and D.O. students

1. The student will not be enrolled in the medical program during the CPRTP summer fellowship dates. The letter must include the fellowship start and end dates.
2. The student will not receive academic credit for participating in the MD Anderson CATALYST Summer Training Program.
3. Upload this letter in Slate with your proof of enrollment (merge both files into a single document).

You are not eligible if any of the following apply:

• You previously received a CPRTP NCI R25 Summer Research Experience award. This CPRTP summer experience may be awarded only once. CPRTP Summer Alumni may apply to other MD Anderson CATALYST summer programs.
• You are attending a college located outside of the United States.
• You are a visa holder.
• You are a graduating high school senior.
• You are taking a gap year or other break from school during the spring and/or fall semesters of the program year.
• You are not enrolled in a degree program at the Bachelor's degree level or higher. 
• You are in an Associate's degree program.
• You already hold a degree and you are not enrolled in a degree-granting program.
• You are a medical or pharmacy student beyond year one by the spring semester of the program year, except where the M.D./D.O. requirements described above apply.
• You attend a college or university outside the United States.
• You already hold an M.D., Ph.D. or other doctoral degree and are not currently enrolled in school.
• You cannot participate for the entire 10-week program. The 10-week program dates are fixed. Students may not start early, start late, leave early or participate for only part of the program.
• Your academic program, employment, testing, coursework, internship or other commitment conflicts with the CPRTP program dates.

Application Process

Before you apply

The CPRTP application is completed in two phases. BOTH phases must be completed by the application deadline. Starting the CATALYST Inquiry Form does not constitute a completed application.

Before beginning, review all application instructions carefully and have your required documents ready. Applications and required materials cannot be revised after submission.

Phase 1: Complete the CATALYST Inquiry Form

Select Cancer Prevention Summer Research Program (CPRTP) as your first choice, second choice, or both choices.

Complete the requested personal and enrollment information and upload the following required documents:

• CV or resume
• Official transcript showing proof of enrollment. Your transcript must reflect the enrollment required for the applicable semesters of the program year.
• Statement of Research Experience and Interest (Personal Statement), limited to 5,000 characters.

Personal statement requirements

Your Statement of Research Experience and Interest must address all six areas:

1. Describe academic, research, professional or lived experiences that have informed your interest in cancer prevention.
2. Describe a challenge or barrier you encountered in your education or career development and the steps you took to address it.
3. Describe any prior research experience, including cancer-related research, or explain factors that have limited your access to research opportunities.
4. Identify the knowledge or skills you hope to gain through cancer prevention research and the specific cancer prevention topics or questions that interest you, such as tobacco cessation, HPV, colon cancer or survivorship.
5. Describe factors that inspire you in a work or learning environment.
6. Briefly describe your interests outside of research or academics.

IMPORTANT: Review your information and uploaded documents carefully before submitting the Inquiry Form. Slate will not accept revised documents after submission. You must contact Discover Support regarding revised documents.

Phase 2: Create your Slate account and complete the application

After submitting the CATALYST Inquiry Form, you will receive an email from MD Anderson Education & Training at trainee@mdanderson.org with the subject line “Complete your Trainee Position Inquiry Request.”

Follow the instructions in the email to create your Slate account.

After logging in to Slate, complete all remaining application requirements:

• Read the application instructions.
• Request two required letters of recommendation from non-MD Anderson faculty or staff.
• Complete the Additional Demographics and Future Plans form.
• Complete the Internship or Graduation Requirement form.
• Complete the Academic Awards and Honors form.

Letters of recommendation

• Two letters of recommendation from non-MD Anderson faculty or staff are required.
• An additional letter from a potential MD Anderson faculty mentor is optional. An MD Anderson faculty letter does NOT replace either of the two required non-MD Anderson letters. If you submit an MD Anderson faculty mentor letter, you must submit a total of three letters.
• Enter each recommender’s name and email address in the Recommendations section of Slate. The recommender will receive an email from trainee@mdanderson.org with instructions and a link for uploading the letter.
• Ask your recommenders to add trainee@mdanderson.org to their safe sender list and check spam, junk or quarantine folders.
• Monitor your Slate account to confirm that each required letter has been received.
• Follow up directly with your recommender if a letter has not been uploaded.
• Identify a backup recommender in case your original recommender is unable to submit a letter by the deadline.
• All required letters of recommendation must be uploaded to Slate by the application deadline. Applications without the minimum required letters will be denied.

Before the application deadline

• Log in to your Slate account and select “Status” to confirm that your application is complete.
• Your application is complete only when ALL required forms, documents and letters of recommendation have been completed and uploaded to your Slate account.

Need help with Slate? 

• The CPRTP cannot correct, replace or troubleshoot documents submitted through Slate. Contacting Discover Support directly will provide the fastest assistance.
• For technical issues, Slate account questions, or assistance with incorrectly uploaded documents, contact Discover_Support@mdanderson.org directly. 

Stipend

This internship pays $18 per hour ($7,200 before taxes over 10 weeks) and is funded by a National Cancer Institute R25 grant award (R25 CA056452) and supplemented by other sources.

Payment schedule

Students are paid on the 5th and 20th of each month by direct deposit.

Work schedule

• Location: Hybrid. On-campus work is required, with some remote work at the mentor’s discretion.
• Schedule: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, 40 hours per week.
• Conflicting activities: Awardees may not participate in concurrent employment, academic courses or other commitments that conflict with the program.
• Healthcare and paid leave: The internship does not provide health benefits, paid time off, paid sick leave, paid vacation or holiday pay.

Additional program support

The following program-related expenses are covered by CPRTP program funds and are not provided to students as additional cash payments. Housing assistance is the only exception.

• Research support: Each student may request up to $1,000 for approved expenses related to the summer cancer prevention project, including eligible research or conference-presentation expenses. Instructions for requesting research support funds will be provided by the CPRTP Program Manager during week one. 
• Travel to Houston: Eligible students who live outside Houston may request program-arranged airfare to begin and/or end the program, subject to program rules.
• Housing assistance: Eligible students who live out of state or too far from Houston to commute may receive a one-time $1,000 housing assistance payment before taxes and deductions  Federal taxes and other required payroll deductions will be withheld from the $1,000 payment, so the final housing payment amount you receive will be around $600. The payment is issued through MD Anderson Payroll Services via direct deposit around week five of the program. Housing assistance is not guaranteed and depends on available funding.

After selected students accept their fellowship awards, the CPRTP will begin the mentor-matching process. Students will receive a Qualtrics survey and detailed instructions for identifying potential MD Anderson faculty mentors. In the survey, students will identify a minimum of six potential faculty mentors and provide a short explanation of why each faculty member’s research is of interest.

What is cancer prevention and control?

Efforts in cancer prevention and control aim to reduce cancer incidence, recurrence, progression, and the associated adverse effects of cancer. Prevention, which involves stopping cancer from happening in the first place, is the most cost-effective, long-term strategy for the control of cancer. Cancer prevention and control researchers conduct observational and interventional studies aimed at intercepting causes at all stages of the cancer process—from early prevention to survivorship. Studies target cancer risk factors such as:

• Tobacco
• Alcohol
• Physical inactivity, dietary factors, obesity, and being overweight
• Infections, e.g., HPV, hepatitis B
• Environmental pollution, e.g., outdoor & indoor air pollution
• Occupational carcinogens, e.g., asbestos, benzene
• Radiation, e.g., UV/solar radiation, x-rays

Varying strategies can be used in cancer prevention and control research and can include:

• Primary Prevention: Aim to prevent initial cancer occurrences through lifestyle modifications, vaccination against cancer-causing viruses, and the use of chemo-preventive agents.
• Screening and Early Detection: Involves the development and evaluation of screening tools, diagnostic tests, and technologies to detect cancer at its most treatable stages, encompassing biomarkers, imaging, and genetic testing.
• Behavioral Interventions: Explores the impact of behavioral changes, such as smoking cessation, dietary adjustments, and increased physical activity, on reducing cancer risk.
• Genetic and Molecular Epidemiology: Investigates the role of genetics and molecular factors in cancer development, identifying genetic markers and understanding molecular pathways contributing to carcinogenesis.
• Vaccination Strategies: Examines the development and effectiveness of vaccines, especially for cancers caused by infectious agents like HPV and hepatitis B.
• Environmental and Occupational Exposures: Studies the influence of environmental and occupational factors, such as pollutants and radiation, on cancer risk.
• Risk Assessment, Public Health Policy, and Interventions: Focuses on developing and assessing public health policies and interventions to decrease cancer incidence, including tobacco control measures, screening programs, and health education.
• Implementation Science: Explores strategies to translate research findings into practical applications, addressing barriers and facilitators in healthcare settings and communities.

Who are researchers in cancer prevention and control?

Cancer prevention and control research is dynamic and necessitates collaboration among scientists, clinicians, public health experts, and policymakers. The overarching aim is to alleviate the global burden of cancer by identifying effective, evidence-based strategies applicable at individual, community, and population levels. Multiple scientific backgrounds, disciplines, and interests are relevant and helpful in working toward this goal. The CPRTP accepts applicants with various interests, backgrounds, and disciplines, including, but not limited to:

Backgrounds and disciplines:

• Anesthesiology & Perioperative Medicine
• Autoimmune diseases (e.g., HIV, AIDS, Lupus)
• Basic Science
• Behavioral Science
• Biology (e.g., cellular, molecular, physiology)
• Bioinformatics
• Biotechnology
• Biomedical sciences
• Biostatistics
• Breast cancer
• Cancer biology
• Cancer genomics
• Cancer immunotherapy
• Cancer medicine
• Cancer prevention, early detection & risk assessment
• Cardiology
• Colorectal Cancer Research
• Chemistry (e.g., physical, organic, bio)
• Chemotherapy, Chemo-radiotherapy
• Comparative Medicine
• Data Science and Statistics
• Dentistry
• Dermatology
• Environmental Sciences
• Experimental radiation
• Experimental therapeutics
• Epidemiology
• Epigenetics and Molecular Carcinogenesis
• Gastroenterology
• General oncology
• Genetics & Genomics
• Genitourinary medical oncology
• Health Disparities Research
• Health services research
• Health Education or Health Promotion
• Health Policy
• Hematopathology
• Immunology (e.g., clinical, systems)
• Infectious diseases (e.g., Hepatitis)
• Lymphoma & Myeloma
• Molecular and Cellular Oncology
• Nanotechnology
• Nutrition Sciences
• Nursing
• Obstetrics & Gynecology
• Palliative Care & Integrative Medicine
• Pediatrics
• Physics
• Population Health
• Pharmacy, Pharmacology
• Physical therapy
• Public Health
• Psychology
• Reproductive Medicine
• Rehabilitation (e.g., Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy)
• Respiratory Care
• Social Science
• Surgery
• Survivorship
• Systems Biology
• Social Work
• Veterinary Medicine and Surgery

Interests:

• Addiction (e.g., alcoholism, pharma & recreational drugs)
• Africans and African-American populations (including the Caribbean & others of African descent)
• Asian populations
• Community health
• Communication (e.g., Health, Strategic, Integrated Media, Public Relations)
• Disabled populations
• Economics (e.g., Financial Toxicity)
• Education
• Engineering (e.g. biomedical, genetic)
• Exercise
• Global health
• Hispanic & Latin populations
• Hormone therapy
• Indian populations
• Kinesiology
• Laboratory science
• LGBTQ+ populations
• Mathematics
• Mental health
• Military/Veteran populations
• Native American populations
• Older adults
• Obesity, Weight Management
• Statistics
• Tobacco Cessation & Control