Predictors of Graduate Student Success from an R25 Cancer Research Training in Unique Populations

The Cancer Epidemiology Education in Special Populations (CEESP) Program has enabled U.S.-based public health graduate students to develop their summer research projects based on their choice of mentors, topics, and research sites in global and U.S. domestic settings. In this study, we predicted CEESP student success by the production of a first-authored publication from the summer research experience. Producing a publication requires designing a scientifically sound research study, collecting the proposed data, managing challenges and hurdles during the field experience, collaborating with off-campus mentors, addressing cultural issues, analyzing the data, and writing a publishable manuscript. The data from the first 17 years of the program included data from 203 students. The results showed that the significant predictors of publication included (a) favorable evaluation by the Advisory Committee at the time of selecting students (OR,5.21, 95% CI, 1.97-13.79), (b) building on previous CEESP students' research data and infrastructure (OR,2.11, 95% CI, 1.02-4.37), (c) persistence (OR,18.61, 95% CI, 5.19-66.74) and resourcefulness (OR, 17.51, 95% CI, 4.21-62.01) of the student, (d) student utilization of the CEESP data for thesis or dissertation after the summer (OR, 7.56.75, CI 1.84-31.11), and (e) pursuing careers and education in cancer after the summer (OR, 8.84, 95% CI, 3.3-23.42). The study highlights the importance of the rigorous evaluation of students at the time of admission to the program and the value of tailored and continuous mentoring during all stages of research training. The study also highlights the critical role of establishing and maintaining a solid infrastructure of training students over time and the need for opening doors for trainees' career development after the summer experience. The study may have implications for increasing the critical mass of cancer researchers and improving the short- and long-term outcomes of programs focused on cancer education and research training of students.