Vanderbilt Clinical Oncology Research Career Development Program

Senior Fellows in training or junior faculty (Instructors or Assistant Professors) interested in developing careers in clinical cancer research are eligible for Vanderbilt Clinical Oncology Research Career Development Program (VCORCDP). All clinicians must have completed their residency.  

Potential scholars for the VCORCDP may come from any program within Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC). Applications from outside the institution are encouraged, such as applicants from Meharry Medical College (MMC), but the applicant must hold an appointment (such as an adjunct) within one of the VUMC departments prior to entering the VCORCDP.  

The majority of VCORCDP scholars come from core clinical oncology disciplines: 

• Medical Oncology 
• Pediatric Oncology 
• Surgical Oncology 
• Radiation Oncology 

However, about 20% of applicants in the past 15 years have come from outside the classical clinical oncology disciplines, such as Pathology, Microbiology, and Immunology, Dermatology, Epidemiology, Cancer Biology, Urology, Pulmonary Medicine, and Neurology.  

In addition, senior fellows or junior faculty from other non-oncology medical and surgical subspecialties (such as Geriatrics, Gastroenterology, Gynecology, Cardiology, and Otolaryngology) are potentially eligible for the VCORCDP, but the applicant’s proposed research must be directly related to cancer.  

Research projects must fulfill the definition of patient-oriented research: “research conducted with human subjects (or material from human origin) for which an investigator directly interacts with human subjects.” 

The Internal Advisory Committee selects applicants for support based on: 

1. The applicant's past educational and training history 
2. Their career goals as noted in the submitted personal statement 
3. Their dedication to a research career in clinical oncology, which will be based on their past record of involvement, their personal statement, and letters from references 
4. The letter of recommendation by the trainee’s proposed mentor 
5. The Internal Advisory Committee’s assessment of the potential benefit for career development for each applicant. 

Appointees will be designated Paul Calabresi Scholars. The Committee will also make efforts to recruit candidates from underrepresented groups and disadvantaged backgrounds. 

All scholars are selected based on a proposed research plan that includes:

• A VCORCDP mentor who is an actively practicing physician participating in patient-oriented cancer research  

- or -

• A dyad mentorship in which at least one mentor is a clinical investigator and the other a basic or translational science investigator. 

The proposed research project for the scholar must be patient-oriented and involve direct patient assessment, measurements on patient-derived samples, and/or the use of investigational therapeutic or diagnostic techniques.  

Scholars are expected to complete the following VCORCDP core requirements during their time in the program, including: 

1. Complete Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) training and to recognize and document RCR training occurring throughout the period of training 
2. Receive instruction in Methods of Enhancing Reproducibility 
3. Publish at minimum one peer-reviewed manuscript during the period of training 
4. Apply for at least one external source of funding during annually

Scholars and mentors must provide program evaluation in the form of: 

1. An annual structured written progress report, including a report of the mentor and mentoring committees, collected via a secure REDCap survey tool 
2. An annual Individual Development Plan (IDP), also collected via REDCap survey, with signoff by one or both program directors 
3. Participation in the annual retreat, including presentation of future direction in a chalk talk-style format

At the heart of VCORCDP is the mentored research project, and the availability of committed, experienced faculty mentors remains a strength of the program. Our faculty mentors represent diverse disciplines of oncology and their expertise spans the three major domains of research in which our scholars conduct their training and investigations:  

• Clinical Trials and Drug Development 
• Translational Cancer Biology 
• Cancer Health Outcomes and Epidemiology 

Mentors and areas of expertise:

The major function of the VCORCDP Internal Advisory Committee (IAC) is to provide continuous oversight and advice regarding program operations. The IAC is chaired by program co-director, Dr. Debra Friedman, MD, MS, of the Vanderbilt University Medical Center Division of Pediatric Hematology & Oncology.  

Specifically, the IAC: 

• Screens and selects candidates for program participation 
• Assists in the mentor selection process 
• Reviews and approves each scholar’s cancer research career development plan 
• Evaluates each scholar’s progress every six months to make necessary improvements and/or to recommend termination 
• Evaluates the participation and success of faculty mentors 
• Promotes the transition of scholars to extramural mechanisms of support and independence 
• Evaluates the overall effectiveness of the program in terms of the quality and availability of applicants, the effectiveness of mentors, the progress of scholars, the success of scholars following completion of the career development program, and the success of recruitment strategies in identifying qualified applicants with a focus on URM. 

The IAC meets every six months to review program progress and to evaluate applicants and scholars. The IAC is comprised of investigators from each subspecialty of oncology from which most scholars apply. The Committee has also been constituted to reflect the racial and ethnic diversity of leadership in cancer research at Vanderbilt. All IAC members are experienced investigators who have a record of mentoring and research productivity as well as administrative leadership.

The major function of the VCORCDP External Advisory Committee (EAC) is to provide input into the scientific direction of program, ensure the program is meeting national workforce needs, and monitor progress, accomplishments, and trajectory to further programmatic advancement. These EAC faculty are all oncology physician-scientists, leaders in oncology, and directors or associate directors of oncology K12 programs at their institutions.

Since the inception of the grant in 2001, 89% (48/54) of Vanderbilt Clinical Oncology Research Career Development Program graduates have remained in academia and/or clinical research positions and 85% (46/54) have peer-reviewed grant support, including clinical trials.  

Since 2001, our scholars have published 1,764 manuscripts within 5 years of their appointment to the VCORCDP. They are contributing significantly to the design and conduct of high-impact clinical research that is advancing the field of oncology and improving outcomes for cancer patients.  

Thank you for your interest in the VCORCDP program. The next deadline for submitting an application is March 1, 2024. 

Applications should include: 

• Three-to-five-page research proposal 
• Letter from the potential mentors (two mentors are recommended, one of which must be a member of the training grant) agreeing to mentor the applicant and commenting on the applicant’s potential and the likelihood of success of the research project 
• Curriculum vitae 
• Letter from the applicant’s department chair or division director indicating support, including guarantee of protected time 
• Personal statement from the applicant indicating career goals, planned didactic coursework, and commitment to oncology research 

Please contact Kimryn Rathmell or Deb Friedman with questions about the application process or the training program. 

Interested applicants should e-mail Lucy Shaffer at lucy.d.shaffer@vumc.org  prior to submitting an application. Send completed applications to her by March 1, 2024. 

Interested applicants can set up a meeting with VCORCDP program leaders Drs. Friedman, Hurley and/or Rathmell  to review details of the program and application process.