The CDU/UCLA Undergraduate Cancer Research Training Program, sponsored by the American Cancer Society's Diversity in Cancer Research (DICR) division is a 10 week research internship designed for outstanding underrepresented minority undergraduate students who are interested in pursuing a career in basic, clinical, or community-based science. We strongly encourage eligible students interested in cancer health disparities and public health to apply!
An individualized program is developed for each undergraduate participant, who will be paired to work with a faculty Principal Investigator and associates at CDU or UCLA laboratories on a selected cancer research project. The goal of the DICR Undergraduate Internship Program is to ensure that each undergraduate student acquires the knowledge, skills, and attitudes to pursue their careers in cancer research.
On completion of the program, each undergraduate trainee will have worked on a hypothesis-driven research project in cancer health disparities and developed a research paper (based on the findings of the ancillary project). Students will also have the opportunity to present their findings before a regional or national conference and benefit from seminar series focused on translational cancer health disparities research.
Objectives
- Participate in an innovative cancer research project on health disparities
- Build research skills through mentored and directed hands-on research activities
- Participate in lectures and seminars held at the CDU and/or UCLA‐JCCC campuses
- Present a professional seminar during our Cancer Journal Club and your progress at weekly lab meetings
- Prepare a professional research paper and present a poster at our research symposiums held at CDU
- Learn about ethnic/cultural beliefs and how they influence community participation in research
Program Duration
Monday, June 16th, 2025 to Friday, August 22nd, 2025
Eligibility
- Low income or underrepresented students are particularly encouraged to apply
- Rising sophomores, juniors, and seniors with an interest in any STEM discipline
- Pursuing a career in biomedical-related sciences with a health disparities focus
- Applicants must be in good academic standing with at least a 3.0 overall GPA
- Applicants must be full-time students and cannot be enrolled in summer courses concurrent with the internship
- Applicants must have a reliable form of transportation to travel between campuses on the weekly basis
- No prior research experience required
Please Note
- Applicants are ineligible for the internship program if their bachelor's degree will be awarded before the program ends.
Stipend
Students accepted into the program will receive a stipend.
Housing
CDU and UCLA do not provide housing and/or meal plans for accepted students.
Transportation
Students accepted into the program will be expected to have reliable transportation to CDU and/or UCLA.
Commitment
The research program will be equivalent to a full time job (40hr/week). Students must commit 40 hours per week to the research program for the duration of the internship. The duration of the program is 10 weeks.
This program is funded by the American Cancer Society's Diversity in Cancer Research Internship Program.
CDU/UCLA Undergraduate Cancer Research Training Program
The CDU/UCLA Undergraduate Cancer Research Training Program, sponsored by the American Cancer Society's Diversity in Cancer Research (DICR) division is a 10 week research internship designed for outstanding underrepresented minority undergraduate students who are interested in pursuing a career in basic, clinical, or community-based science. We strongly encourage eligible students interested in cancer health disparities and public health to apply!
An individualized program is developed for each undergraduate participant, who will be paired to work with a faculty Principal Investigator and associates at CDU or UCLA laboratories on a selected cancer research project. The goal of the DICR Undergraduate Internship Program is to ensure that each undergraduate student acquires the knowledge, skills, and attitudes to pursue their careers in cancer research.
On completion of the program, each undergraduate trainee will have worked on a hypothesis-driven research project in cancer health disparities and developed a research paper (based on the findings of the ancillary project). Students will also have the opportunity to present their findings before a regional or national conference and benefit from seminar series focused on translational cancer health disparities research.
Objectives
- Participate in an innovative cancer research project on health disparities
- Build research skills through mentored and directed hands-on research activities
- Participate in lectures and seminars held at the CDU and/or UCLA‐JCCC campuses
- Present a professional seminar during our Cancer Journal Club and your progress at weekly lab meetings
- Prepare a professional research paper and present a poster at our research symposiums held at CDU
- Learn about ethnic/cultural beliefs and how they influence community participation in research
Program Duration
Monday, June 16th, 2025 to Friday, August 22nd, 2025
Eligibility
- Low income or underrepresented students are particularly encouraged to apply
- Rising sophomores, juniors, and seniors with an interest in any STEM discipline
- Pursuing a career in biomedical-related sciences with a health disparities focus
- Applicants must be in good academic standing with at least a 3.0 overall GPA
- Applicants must be full-time students and cannot be enrolled in summer courses concurrent with the internship
- Applicants must have a reliable form of transportation to travel between campuses on the weekly basis
- No prior research experience required
Please Note
- Applicants are ineligible for the internship program if their bachelor's degree will be awarded before the program ends.
Stipend
Students accepted into the program will receive a stipend.
Housing
CDU and UCLA do not provide housing and/or meal plans for accepted students.
Transportation
Students accepted into the program will be expected to have reliable transportation to CDU and/or UCLA.
Commitment
The research program will be equivalent to a full time job (40hr/week). Students must commit 40 hours per week to the research program for the duration of the internship. The duration of the program is 10 weeks.
This program is funded by the American Cancer Society's Diversity in Cancer Research Internship Program.