Summer Program to Advance Research Careers (SPARC) == Application Due: February 2, 2018

[Wei Ding]

Dear All, 

We are pleased to announce that our recent R25 NIH proposal has been funded to launch a new research training program known as the Summer Program to Advance Research Careers (SPARC) – a collaboration between Dana-Farber/Harvard Cancer Center and the University of Massachusetts Boston. This intensive 12-week summer research experience will focus on emerging technologies in cancer and cancer disparities for students at UMass Boston and its top community college feeders—Bunker Hill, Roxbury, and Mass Bay.

I will serve as a SPARC mentor for the program. I strongly encourage our undergraduate students from UMass Boston to apply for SPARC.

URL: http://www.dfhcc.harvard.edu/research/cancer-disparities/students/sparc/

Application Due: February 2, 2018

SPARC

The Dana-Farber/Harvard Cancer Center (DF/HCC), in partnership with the University of Massachusetts at Boston (UMB), is providing the Summer Program to Advance Research Careers (SPARC), a 12-week intensive research experience focused on emerging technologies (ET) in cancer and cancer disparities. Each year, 35 undergraduates who have just completed the first or second year will engage in full-time mentored cancer research experiences in research environments across DF/HCC and UMB.  SPARC students will be selected from UMB and its top feeder community colleges (Bunker Hill, Roxbury, and Mass Bay) and matched with mentors in research environments focused on cancer and cancer disparities research using emerging technologies.  SPARC will focus on three areas critical to the development of successful, innovative cancer researchers: 1) acquisition of scientific knowledge in the area of cancer and emerging technologies; 2) development of communication skills; and 3) individualized career preparation. Program activities in these three areas will provide the strong intellectual, technical and personal foundation essential for developing and implementing cutting edge research. SPARC students will not only gain confidence that they can successfully pursue a career in cancer research, but also begin constructing a practical road map for achieving that goal.

Program Features:

Extensive program orientation and scientific skills training

Mentored, hands-on summer cancer research experience at Dana-Farber/Harvard Cancer Center or UMB

Focus on emerging technologies in cancer research

Experience in composing an abstract and delivering an oral or poster presentation of your research

Networking with students in other research programs, and with research scientists

Seminars on research and professional development topics

Journal club meetings focused on understanding scientific articles

Opportunity to present research at local and/or national conferences

Summer stipends 

Program Start Date:  May 21, 2018

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Best Regards, 

Wei Ding, Ph.D.

Associate Professor, Computer Science

Director, Knowledge Discovery Lab

Chair, CSM Senate

University of Massachusetts Boston

100 Morrissey Blvd.

Boston, MA 02125-3393

Phone: 617.287.6428 

Webpage: www.cs.umb.edu/~ding

Knowledge Discovery Lab: kdl.cs.umb.edu