PROJECT SUMMARY / ABSTRACTThis application entitled Student Transformative Experiences to Progress Underrepresented Professionals(STEP-UP) for cancer prevention is a multidisciplinary initiative led by the Cancer Prevention and Control andHealth Disparities Programs' faculty at the University of Arizona Comprehensive Cancer Center. It is uniquelydesigned to provide 55 undergraduate and 54 Masters' degree seeking students with an intensive 12-weeksummer research experience in cancer prevention and control. Educational pedagogy will inform on ourmethodology in order to assure students receive the quality research experience that not only will increaseunderstanding but also will motivate students toward a continued educational commitment to advance incancer prevention and control sciences. The emphasis in training will be largely within the clinical trials tocommunity-based participatory research end of translational research yet offering students 2 week-longimmersion opportunities to experience cancer prevention and control science across the entire continuum ofbasic to applied and even dissemination research. Over 35 faculty members from diverse disciplines who arefunded in cancer prevention and control research are committed to this program. The program fills a gap in ourweb of training opportunities for underrepresented students and yet builds on a substantial foundation ofpurpose-driven efforts at the UA and the Arizona Cancer Center to attract and retain a diverse student body incancer prevention and control research. Importantly this effort leverages our international reputation in cancerprevention research. Our specific aims include: 1. Recruit undergraduate and Master's level graduate studentsfrom URM into the STEP-UP in cancer prevention 12-week summer experiential cancer prevention and controlresearch training; 2. Provide an integrated innovative multidisciplinary educational experience in cancerprevention and control research that strengthens self-efficacy and intrinsic motivation to become a cancerprevention and control scientist; 3. Support mentoring and professional relationships with scientists researchprograms and community partners; 4. Conduct formative and summative evaluations to improve the programover time. The training program is centralized in Southern Arizona and offers experiential learning within ourunique catchment area which is rich in diversity relative to ethnicity (30.7% Hispanic) race (5.8% NativeAmericans) and age (16.4% over age 65 years). This distinctive location strong community ties universityfacilities and resources for research and education as well as committed and experienced faculty mentors andprogram leaders assures a quality program that will impact the diversity competence and commitment of thecancer prevention and control workforce of the future.