FAQ - DF/HCC

Frequently Asked Questions

General

- Dana-Farber/Harvard Cancer Center (DF/HCC) is a comprehensive cancer center designated by the National Cancer Institute and is the first collaborative effort to bring together the intellectual resources of its seven partner institutions to focus on one mission—the eradication of cancer. These institutions are: Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston Children's Hospital, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, and Massachusetts General Hospital.
- DF/HCC is NOT Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, although the Institute is a partner institution of DF/HCC.
- The CURE program is housed within DF/HCC’s Initiative to Eliminate Cancer Disparities. The Initiative uses an integrative approach to focus on disparities reduction throughout all aspects of DF/HCC structure and activities through facilitation of clinical trials recruitment efforts, original research focused on new discoveries related to understanding the causes of and solutions to cancer disparities, as well as development of increased faculty and trainee diversity. The CURE program is designed to introduce students to the exciting world of cancer research. Students will be placed with a mentor who conducts cancer-related research at one of our seven partner institutions.

Student Program Applications and Eligibility

- Because the program is primarily funded by federal agencies, it is only open to U.S. citizens or permanent residents who can provide their I-551 card number.
- If you are not a U.S. citizen or permanent resident, please confirm your application with us before applying.
- No. For purposes of NIH funding, an underrepresented minority is defined as an individual belonging to a particular racial or ethnic group that has been determined to be underrepresented nationally in the biomedical sciences. Underrepresented minorities in the biomedical sciences include Blacks, Hispanics, Native Americans, Alaska Natives, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders.
- There is no minimum GPA requirement, but competitive applicants do have a record of academic achievement, especially in recent courses. Their interest in science and research is, in part, demonstrated by the courses they've taken.
- Applicants are not required to have prior research experience.
- All parts of the application are important. The admissions committee is looking for:
  - a strong statement of interest explaining your goals, research interest and any research experience, and why you want to participate in a DF/HCC training program
  - a strong letter of recommendation that says something about your work in the classroom and/or research environment
  - a demonstrated interest in scientific research, as shown by coursework, recommendation(s), and research
- No, the postmark deadline is strictly adhered to for submission of applications.

Program and Logistics

- Most of the presenters are Harvard faculty and have indicated an interest in engaging with students participating in the program. In addition, we seek input from our current and past student participants to determine topics of interest.
- The amount of the stipend is determined at the start of each program year. The stipend is determined by DF/HCC funding sources, which vary from year to year.
- A stipend is provided on a weekly basis. We are unable to pay overtime to students.
- Housing is not provided for students—it is the student’s responsibility to acquire his or her own housing.
- There are ample networking opportunities for students—as part of the research internship, students must attend weekly seminars given by prominent researchers and physicians. Students are also highly encouraged to network within their own department and seek out opportunities for themselves—former students have shadowed doctors, observed surgeries, etc. in the past because of the networks they built over the summer. There will also be opportunities to network with students from other research programs in the Greater Boston area.
- Start dates vary depending on the program, check program specific pages

Research Environment and Mentoring

- Students applying to DF/HCC training programs need not have had any prior research experience. You are not required to demonstrate prior interest in cancer research either or any one particular disease; instead, this is an opportunity to be involved in new types of research conducted at DF/HCC partner institutions.
- Our partner institutions include Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston Children’s Hospital, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Massachusetts General Hospital, and University of Massachusetts - Boston.
- Most projects are a subset of a larger project already underway in your assigned research environment, or are related in some other way to a larger project. They are usually specially designed and developed for you by your mentors.
- This is an opportunity to be involved in cancer-related research conducted at DF/HCC partner institutions. Check DF/HCC's list of research programs for details.
- Students can be assigned to a variety of oncology-related environments across the basic, clinical and population science research spectrum. We also offer nursing research environments.
  1. Basic science research
    This includes the fields of genetics, molecular biology, cell and developmental biology. Basic science research looks for the answers to problems at the fundamental level. It is done in laboratories using beakers and test tubes, not people. Basic science researchers look at the micro level (the cellular and molecular level) to better understand larger issues, such as diseases and disorders.
  2. Clinical science research
    This is patient-oriented research (conducted with human subjects or on material of human origin, such as tissue or other specimens). It includes research that determines the safety and effectiveness of medications, devices, diagnostic products, and treatment regimens intended for human use.
  3. Population science research
    This includes epidemiological and behavioral studies as well as research that looks at health disparities and other community-based outcomes.
  4. Nursing research
    This type of research focuses on nursing practice as it pertains to health promotion, disease prevention, quality of life and end of life care.
- Students should be as specific as possible when listing areas of research interest in their application. These may range from cancer genomics to breast cancer to cancer health disparities to prostate cancer.
- Every attempt is made to match students and mentors who have similar research interests. We will also consider special requests to work in particular cancer-related departments; however, all participating mentors must be DF/HCC members. It is helpful for the student to be as specific as possible when listing areas of research interest in their application. Check Dana-Farber/Harvard Cancer Center's web site for details on the various cancer-related research being conducted and the scientists (your potential mentors) who are conducting the research. If you identify particular people or an area you would like to work in, please list those on your application.
- DF/HCC training program students are required to present their research findings, whether complete or incomplete, to colleagues and researchers at the end of the summer in a formal presentation. Due to the program length, some students may not obtain definitive results before the summer ends. Students may follow up with their mentors to get updates regarding the research they conducted.
- Students are paired individually with different mentors. Research may sometimes be similar but students typically do not work in the same research environment together since DF/HCC training programs focus on developing an individual research experience.

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Frequently Asked Questions

General

Student Program Applications and Eligibility

Program and Logistics

Research Environment and Mentoring

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