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This study was conducted in 2016–2017 to better understand formal and informal leadership roles and activities of alumni from postdoctoral research training programs in cancer prevention. Data were obtained from surveys of 254 employed scientists who completed cancer prevention postdoctoral training within the National Cancer Institute (NCI) Cancer Prevention Fellowship Program, or at US research institutions through NCI-sponsored National Research Service Award (NRSA) individual postdoctoral fellowship (F32) grants, from 1987 to 2011. Fifteen questions categorized under Organizational Leadership, Research Leadership, Professional Society/Conference Leadership, and Broader Scientific/Health Community Leadership domains were analyzed. About 75% of respondents had at least one organizational leadership role or activity during their careers, and 13–34% reported some type of research, professional society/conference, or broader scientific/health community leadership within the past 5 years. Characteristics independently associated with leadership from regression models were being in earlier postdoctoral cohorts (8 items, range for statistically significant ORs = 2.8 to 10.8) and employment sector (8 items, range for statistically significant ORs = 0.4 to 11.7). Scientists whose race/ethnicity was other than white were less likely to report organizational leadership or management responsibilities (OR = 0.4, 95% CI 0.2–0.9). Here, many alumni from NCI-supported cancer prevention postdoctoral programs were involved in leadership, with postdoctoral cohort and employment sector being the factors most often associated with leadership roles and activities. Currently, there is relatively little research on leadership roles of biomedical scientists in general, or in cancer prevention specifically. This study begins to address this gap and provide a basis for more extensive studies of leadership roles and training of scientists.

Studies examining career satisfaction of biomedical scientists are limited, especially in the context of prior postdoctoral training. Here we focused on career satisfaction defined as satisfaction with one's career trajectory and perceived salary competitiveness among a predominantly Ph.D.-trained population of scientists who completed cancer prevention-related postdoctoral training between 1987-2011. National Cancer Institute (NCI) Cancer Prevention Fellowship Program (CPFP) alumni (n = 114), and previous recipients of NCI-sponsored Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (NRSA/F32) postdoctoral fellowships (n = 140) completed online surveys. Associations of career satisfaction and perception of salary competitiveness with demographic, training, and employment-related factors were examined using logistic regression. Overall, 61% reported high levels of satisfaction with their career trajectory to-date. Higher salary (odds ratio [OR] = 2.86, 95% confidence interval [95% CI]: 1.07-7.69) and having more leadership roles (OR = 2.26, 95% CI:1.04-4.90) were independently associated with higher career satisfaction. Persons with race/ethnicity other than white (OR = 0.40, 95% CI: 0.20-0.82) or age ≥ 50 (OR = 0.40, 95%CI: 0.17-0.94) had lower career satisfaction levels. There were no statistically significant differences in career satisfaction levels by gender, scientific discipline, or employment sector. 74% perceived their current salary as competitive, but persons with 5-9, or ≥10 years in their current position reported lower levels (OR = 0.31, 95% CI: 0.15-0.65; and OR = 0.37, 95% CI: 0.16-0.87, respectively), as did individuals in government positions (OR = 0.33, 95% CI: 0.11-0.98). These data add to the understanding of career satisfaction of those with advanced training in biomedical research by examining these measures in relation to prior postdoctoral research training and across multiple career sectors.

John Farleya, Laurent Ozbunb, Goli Samimic and Michael J. Birrerb,∗ Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences 4301 Jones Bridge Road, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA Cell and Cancer Biology Department, Medicine Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA Cancer Prevention Fellowship Program and Cell and Cancer Biology Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA

This article features qualitative data from in-depth interviews of alumni from a long-standing, structured, postdoctoral research training program. Alumni from diverse scientific disciplines and representing 25 years of the program’s history reflected on the training curriculum and career preparation as it relates to their current career path., Published evaluations of career preparation of alumni from long-standing postdoctoral fellowship programs in the biomedical sciences are limited and often focus on quantitative analysis of data from extant publicly available sources. Qualitative methods provide the opportunity to gather robust information about specific program elements from structured postdoctoral training programs and the influence of this training on subsequent career paths of alumni. In-depth interviews with a subset of the National Cancer Institute’s Cancer Prevention Fellowship Program (CPFP) alumni (n = 27), representing more than 25 years of the program’s history and multiple career sectors, were conducted to assess alumni reflections on the training environment and career preparation during their time in the CPFP. NVivo software was used to analyze data and identify major themes. Four main themes emerged from these interviews, including: the value of structured training curriculum, mentorship, transdisciplinary environment, and professional identity. Even when reflecting on training that occurred one to two decades earlier, alumni were able to highlight specific components of a structured postdoctoral training program as influencing their research and career trajectories. These results may have relevance for those interested in assessing how postdoctoral training can influence fellows throughout their careers and understanding salient features of structured programs.

The purpose of this study was to examine the career paths of alumni from the National Cancer Institute (NCI) Cancer Prevention Fellowship Program (CPFP), a structured in-house postdoctoral training program of 3-4 years duration, and specifically what proportion of the alumni were currently performing cancer prevention-related activities. The analyses here included 119 CPFP alumni and 85 unsuccessful CPFP applicants, all of whom completed postdoctoral training between 1987-2011 and are currently employed. Postdoctoral training experiences and current career outcomes data were collected via online surveys. Differences between groups were assessed using chi-square and Fisher's exact test p-values and subsequent regression analyses adjusted for differences between the groups. Compared to 15.3% of unsuccessful CPFP applicants, 52.1% of CPFP alumni (odds ratio [OR] = 4.99, 95% confidence interval [95% CI): 1.91-13.0) were currently spending the majority of their time working in cancer prevention. Among those doing any cancer prevention-focused work, 54.3% of CPFP alumni spent the majority of their time performing cancer prevention research activities when compared to 25.5% of unsuccessful applicants (OR = 4.26, 95% CI: 1.38-13.2). In addition to the independent effect of the NCI CPFP, scientific discipline, and employment sector were also associated with currently working in cancer prevention and involvement in cancer prevention research-related activities. These results from a structured postdoctoral training program are relevant not only to the cancer prevention community but also to those interested in evaluating alignment of postdoctoral training programs with available and desired career paths more broadly.

Abstract 48 Background: The National Cancer Institute (NCI) Summer Curriculum in Cancer Prevention, hosted by NCI’s Cancer Prevention Fellowship Program, has provided interdisciplinary training to physicians, scientists, nurses, and other cancer health care professionals in the principles and practice of cancer prevention, control, and molecular biology and genetics. Since 1998, the summer curriculum has enrolled an increasing number of international participants, with many nominees from All-Ireland NCI Cancer Consortium and the International Atomic Energy Agency’s Programme of Action for Cancer Therapy. NCI’s Center for Global Health selects meritorious international participants, specifically from low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), and has offered limited travel and subsistence scholarships. In spring 2016, the Center for Global Health conducted an evaluation of LMIC participants from 1999 to 2015 to assess the impact of the summer curriculum on participants’ engagement and activities in cancer research and control, including peer-reviewed publications, grants received, scientific presentations, cancer control planning, and advocacy. Methods: We surveyed participants about these topics by using an electronic survey system (Questionnaire Design Studio, v3.0) and analyzed responses in SPSS (SPSS, Chicago, IL) and Excel (Microsoft, Redmond, WA). Results: Of 427 LMIC participants from 1999 to 2015, 357 were surveyed via e-mail invitations to an online survey link, of which 156 responded (44%) during a 4-week study period with follow-up. Overall, 97% report using the knowledge and skills acquired frequently or sometimes, and 80% reported training at least one other person in course content. Nearly 50% reported publishing and 27% reported receiving research funding, of which 84% had not received a grant before participation. Conclusion: Participation of international attendees at the NCI Summer Curriculum builds a global cancer community, utilizing the expertise of Cancer Prevention Fellowship Program in training the cancer health care workforce. AUTHORS' DISCLOSURES OF POTENTIAL CONFLICTS OF INTEREST No COIs from either author.

The Principles and Practice of Cancer Prevention and Control course (Principles course) is offered annually by the National Cancer Institute Cancer Prevention Fellowship Program. This 4-week postgraduate course covers the spectrum of cancer prevention and control research (e.g., epidemiology, laboratory, clinical, social, and behavioral sciences) and is open to attendees from medical, academic, government, and related institutions across the world. In this report, we describe a new addition to the Principles course syllabus, which was exclusively a lecture-based format for over 20 years. In 2011, cancer prevention fellows and staff designed and implemented small group discussion sessions as part of the curriculum. The goals of these sessions were to foster an interactive environment, discuss concepts presented during the Principles course, exchange ideas, and enhance networking among the course participants and provide a teaching and leadership opportunity to current cancer prevention fellows. Overall, both the participants and facilitators who returned the evaluation forms (n = 61/87 and 8/10, respectively) reported a high satisfaction with the experience for providing both an opportunity to explore course concepts in a greater detail and to network with colleagues. Participants (93 %) and facilitators (100 %) stated that they would like to see this component remain a part of the Principles course curriculum, and both groups provided recommendations for the 2012 program. The design, implementation, and evaluation of this initial discussion group component of the Principles course are described herein. The findings in this report will not only inform future discussion group sessions in the Principles course but may also be useful to others planning to incorporate group learning into large primarily lecture-based courses.

The Summer Curriculum in Cancer Prevention has been sponsored by the National Cancer Institute’s Cancer Prevention Fellowship Program for over two decades. This curriculum includes a four-week course entitled “Principles and Practice of Cancer Prevention and Control.” The ultimate goal of this course is to present the most current cancer prevention research to a diverse workforce of researchers and practitioners eager to address the current challenges in this field. The course covers the current status of cancer prevention research and practice, ranging from epidemiology and clinical practice, and from basic to behavioral science research. It is comprised of lectures grouped into nine modules representing broad and specific topics relevant to cancer prevention. Course participants come from a broad cross-section of career stages, professions, and research interests, and are from across the United States and other countries. Over time and in response to feedback from participants, the course has developed to meet the needs and expectations of this diverse audience, and may serve as a model for those interested in cancer prevention education and training in other countries.

NCI's Cancer Prevention Fellowship Program recently initiated a continuing evaluation of the fellows' demographics, fellows' accomplishments in the program, fellow and preceptor expectations and satisfaction, program strengths and weaknesses, current employment for former fellows, and ex-fellows' perceptions of program training. Evaluation shows that the program attracts quality applicants (including minorities and females) nationwide from many disciplines. The program successfully educates about cancer prevention and provides a positive preceptor experience with publication opportunities. Areas for improvement are data access, stipend, office space, job assistance, and networking. Recommendations for other programs include committed enthusiastic staff; adequate budget, space, and support; a formal learning experience in public health fundamentals, research methods, and cancer prevention; individual mentored research within a productive scientific program; aggressive recruitment; competitive admissions policy; defined objectives for fellows; and ongoing formal program evaluation.

Goli Samimia,b, Laurent Ozbunb, Michael E. Johnsonc, Samuel C. Mokc and Michael J. Birrerb Cancer Prevention Fellowship Program, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA Cell and Cancer Biology Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA Laboratory of Gynecologic Oncology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA

Purpose The authors describe an evaluation approach to assess research training that is easy to implement, takes into account individual experience and diversity in research disciplines, and can be adapted to measure various outcomes, depending upon program goals. Method Using publications as the outcome measure, the authors analyzed data from 66 trainees in the National Cancer Institute's Cancer Prevention Fellowship Program (CPFP) to illustrate this evaluation strategy. For postdoctoral fellows entering the CPFP between 1987 and 1997, the authors considered the three-year period prior to entry in the CPFP (pre-CPFP), the period during training, and the three-year period after completion of the CPFP (post-CPFP). Summary measures for individuals' publications during each of the three time periods were calculated, and the probability of change in total, peer-reviewed, and first-authored publications post-CPFP compared to pre-CPFP was assessed. Results Compared to pre-CPFP, the CPFP fellows published significantly more total, peer-reviewed, and first-authored publications post-CPFP. Post-CPFP younger individuals published more than older fellows. MDs had a greater increase in publications over time than did PhDs, but both groups had similar overall numbers of publications post-CPFP. Individuals pursuing a master of public health degree during training published more post-CPFP than did those who did not pursue this training in the program. Conclusions Training programs facing the challenge of evaluating research outcomes will require new evaluation methods that take into account program goals. This easily adaptable, longitudinal evaluation strategy allows for diversity in research disciplines and research experience and can inform programmatic needs and individual progress.

Preparing junior scientists for careers in the health sciences has become an immense challenge for many reasons, including the emerging demand for multidisciplinary approaches to solving problems in the health sciences. For those choosing careers in hybrid and interdisciplinary fields, the “traditional” postdoctoral training model may not perform well, particularly in light of other problems that plague postdoctoral success. New approaches are required. Using the interdisciplinary field of cancer prevention as an example, the authors describe the Cancer Prevention Fellowship Program (CPFP) of the National Cancer Institute, a three-year postdoctoral program of which the goal is to provide its fellows with a strong foundation in cancer prevention through education, mentored research, and structured professional development training activities that emphasize multidisciplinary approaches and leadership skills. Over time, the CPFP has incorporated the best aspects of the traditional postdoctoral training model with newer training approaches in an effort to overcome existing problems in postdoctoral training and to address the additional complexities inherent in training those who seek careers in interdisciplinary science. Many aspects of the CPFP, including an efficient infrastructure, a dedicated staff, a capacity to provide educational activities, and the provision of rich research opportunities, may translate well to other postdoctoral programs that face similar issues.