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Cancer Research Center of Hawaii

Research Fellowships

CRCH CURE and Meiji Yasuda Programs
The goal of our CURE and Meiji Yasuda programs is to encourage students to pursue future careers in the biosciences, particularly cancer research, giving practical meaning to academic course work. At the same time, students make a valuable contribution to the CRCH research mission. By participating in a research program at CRCH, an NCI-designated cancer center, students will learn from experts who are devoted to preventing, treating and curing cancer. Each year, a number of promising students are selected for this unique opportunity to expand and extend their interest in basic, clinical and/or population science cancer research.

To be eligible, you must:

• Have a mentor's endorsement of your application (see application form for details)
• Show a strong interest and ability in science
• Have an interest in pursuing a biomedical or health-related career
• Commit to a 9 week full-time summer program. CURE students also have the option of a 1 to 2 year experience (full-time summers, part-time academic year)
• Meet the following eligibility requirements for each program:

Program
CURE
Opportunity
Summer or Year round
Who may apply

• High school students who are at least 16 (or turn 16 before starting the CURE program) OR college undergraduates
• Students from an underrespresented group in the sciences:
  • Racial and ethnic
  • First generation to attend college
  • Economically disadvantaged

Program
Meiji Yasuda
Opportunity
Summer
Who may apply
Undergraduate students who have a 3.5 GPA or greater and have completed at least two years of university coursework

Download the application form: Word document The deadline for application submissions is March 1st (postmarked). Please complete and return to:
Cancer Research Center of Hawaii
CURE and Meiji Yasuda Programs
Ms. Karin Koga
1236 Lauhala Street, Suite 407
Honolulu, HI 96813

Call (808) 441-7704 or e-mail kkoga@crch.hawaii.edu if you have any questions.

The Continuing Umbrella of Research Experiences (CURE) Program
The CURE program is a mentored research experience that introduces high school and college students from underrepresented minority populations to the world of cancer research by placing them in real research settings. Students may choose a full-time summer mentored research experience or a year-round experience for up to 2 years. CURE students are paid hourly according to the University of Hawaii Student Research Fellow pay rates. Students receive a paycheck twice every month.

The Meiji Yasuda Program
The Meiji Yasuda Program for outstanding undergraduate students is funded by an endowment from the Meiji Yasuda Life Insurance Company in Japan. Applicants must have a 3.5 GPA or greater and have completed at least two years of university coursework. Meiji Yasuda students receive a stipend of $3,000 for the nine-week full-time internship. The stipend is paid in 3 installments.

STUDENT EXPECTATIONS
Mentor's Endorsement of the Application

• Students must obtain a mentor's endorsement of the application to be considered for the CURE or Meiji Yasuda Program. To find a mentor who has similar research interests, students may review faculty biographies on the CRCH website at http://www.crch.org/CenMemFull.htm. Students then email potential mentors to explain their interest in the CURE or Meiji Yasuda program and to request a mentor's endorsement of the application.

Research Experience

• Students will obtain a hands-on experience in a cancer research environment.
• Students will attend and actively participate in an orientation session with the program director.
• Students will complete any necessary safety training and clearances.
• Students will be encouraged to attend research seminars at the Center.

Presentation and Evaluation

• In conjunction with their mentor, students will be expected to prepare and provide a well thought-out 10 minute PowerPoint presentation of their research project.
• At the end of the internship, students will be asked to complete a program evaluation form.

Work Schedule

• The internship will begin and end on dates agreed upon by the mentor and the student. The summer research experience is full-time, for 9 weeks. Hours will be agreed upon by the mentor and the student.

Attendance

• All students should be present and on time for every scheduled workday.
• Unplanned absences – promptly notify your immediate supervisor.

Time Sheets/Stipend

• CURE students will report hours to their department secretary every 2 weeks.
• Meiji Yasuda students will receive stipend payment in 3 installments.

Dress Code

• Each research setting has varying requirements. Follow-up with your supervisor.

MENTOR EXPECTATIONS
Research Experience

• It is important that a person in the research environment be identified as the student's day to day contact or mentor. This person should know what the Principal Investigator has planned for the student. This person must be available to spend time working with the student. It is also important that the PI spend a small amount of time each week with the student.
• Prior to the student's arrival, mentors will identify a project, or a portion of a project for the student to work on.
• Mentors will be responsible for ensuring that students obtain a hands-on experience in a cancer research laboratory/environment. In addition, mentors will be responsible for evaluating the student's experience and progress.
• Mentors will be responsible for encouraging and ensuring that students attend and actively participate in the CURE/Meiji Yasuda orientation meeting as well as CRCH seminars.
• Mentors are encouraged to provide students with a journal or references regarding the lab's historical and current research activities. Get the students involved in their research experience. They are eager for information and want to get going with their hands-on research.
• Mentors are encouraged to include the students in the regular activities of the lab/department. Students will find it valuable to get to meet and know a wide variety of faculty, students, and post docs.

Presentation

• Mentors will be expected to assist the students in the preparation of a thoughtful 10 minute PowerPoint presentation of their research project. This includes, but is not limited to, review of the presentation for accuracy, layout and the student's ability to orally present the materials.
• Mentors and fellow research staff are highly encouraged to attend their student's presentation.

Work Schedule/Attendance

• This is a 9-week, full-time summer experience – the mentor and the student will agree upon workday hours.
• Mentors will be expected to ensure that their students are present and on time for every scheduled workday.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
How do I find a mentor to endorse my application?

• To find a mentor, students review biographies and email faculty members on the CRCH website at http://www.crch.org/CenMemFull.htm. In each email, the student can introduce him/herself, ask about possible summer research projects, and ask if the faculty member is willing to mentor the student and endorse the CURE or Meiji Yasuda application.

What research areas are available at CRCH?

• CRCH is a cancer center designated by the National Cancer Institute that conducts research on the causes, prevention and treatment of cancer across a broad array of disciplines. Research areas include epidemiology, molecular carcinogenesis, cancer treatment, prevention methods, quality of life in cancer survivors, new therapeutic approaches to cancer treatment, and community-based interventions to promote cancer preventive lifestyles in our multiethnic population.

Will I be working on a project that I want to develop/continue or will it be one that is assigned?

• Most projects are a subset of a larger project. They are usually specially designed and developed by mentors.

What are the potential areas of research/departments where I will be working?

• Students can be assigned to a variety of oncology related environments across the basic, clinical and population science research spectrum.

What is the program schedule?

• Students begin their experience engaging in on-the-job training, safety courses, and an orientation session with the program director and other students. Throughout the summer, students are guided by their mentors to work on a research project. At the end of the summer, students meet to give PowerPoint presentations of what they accomplished.

Is my project in the research environment supposed to be completed by the end of the program?

• Although the research project may not be completed by the end of the summer, students are required to present their research progress to the other students. Students may follow up with their mentors later on to get periodic updates regarding the research they participated in.

Is there an opportunity to continue research past the summer experience with my mentor if I am not enrolled in the year round program?

• Students selected for a summer-only experience should feel free to communicate their interest of continuing their research directly with their mentor.

Do all students have the same research project?

• Students are paired up individually with different mentors. Some researchers mentor more than one student so the research may sometimes be similar.

How does the year-round CURE program work?

• The year round CURE program provides students with a full time research setting during the summer, and a part-time continuum of activities throughout the academic school year. Students may optionally return to a full-time experience the following summer and school year.

If I apply for the CURE summer-only experience, can I re-apply for the year-round experience?

• Yes.

If I go to college out of state, can I be in the year-round program?

• Students in the year-round program must be able to attend work at CRCH in Honolulu.

Will there be housing accommodations for students from outside Oahu? If not, is there assistance in arranging housing?

• Housing is not provided for students—it is the student's responsibility to acquire his or her own housing. You may look up housing summer sublets on the Craigslist website. Students in prior summers have registered for an early morning P.E. class to become eligible to live in student housing at the University of Hawaii at Manoa campus.

Are there networking opportunities?

• There are ample networking opportunities for students—as part of their research internship, they are encouraged to attend regular CRCH seminars/lectures given by experienced researchers. Students are also highly encouraged to network within their own department and seek out opportunities for themselves.

Is there a stipend, and if so how much?

• CURE students are paid hourly according to the University of Hawaii Student Research Fellow pay rates. Students receive a paycheck twice every month. Meiji Yasuda students receive a stipend of $3,000 in three installments.

What are the start/end dates for the summer program?

• Start dates are flexible as agreed upon by the student and mentor as long as students are fully committed to CURE or Meiji Yasuda for a nine-week period.

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