The GUIDeS shared resource utilizes the lessons learned from NACP and national studies to provide comprehensive professional development resources designed primarily for ESIs (early stage investigators) and JIs (junior investigators) in cancer research and/or cancer disparities research. A priority goal is to assist ESIs and JIs in obtaining extramural funding and maximize their scholarship productivity.

Specifically, GUIDeS works to:

Assist ESIs through the process of developing a rigorously designed cancer research project and identify potential funding opportunities.
Pair them with senior NACP faculty researcher mentors and other inter-institutional collaborators for the development of their projects and resulting grants and publications.
Navigate them through the University system in developing the regulatory, financial, and institutional requirements for conducting and submitting research to extramural agencies.
Afford opportunities to participate in grant development workshops and mock study sections as well as access to grant writing and proposal development services.
Provide biostatistics and bioinformatics support services as well as streamlined access to experts in Native American-based community engagement, specifically regarding research (Outreach Core).
Support their development of effective organizational, time management, and research communication skills, e.g., seminar presentation and manuscript preparation.
Providing opportunities to participate in grant development workshops and mock study sections as well as access to grant writing and proposal development services.
Assisting in how to build a research and training infrastructure that provides meaningful opportunities for trainees and makes significant contributions to cancer health disparities research.
Building a community based on Wellness and Work-Life Balance with the other ESIs/JIs and postdoctoral scholars following the ‘two-eyed seeing’ principle.

Aims

Aim 1. Increase the development and submission of cancer research grants and manuscripts by identifying mentors for support of GUIDeS participants (GPs) in developing a path to successful academic research addressing cancer disparities among Native Americans. Additionally, existing GUIDeS support resources will further assist new faculty with logistic, fiscal, and regulatory matters related to proposal development and grants management. Grant and manuscript writing workshops provide pre-reviews by experts and community members with the goal to guide GPs to successfully submit and obtain career appropriate funding. The Outreach & Engagement Core (OEC) and GUIDeS Co-Leaders also collaborate to increase investigator capacity for community dissemination among early faculty.

Aim 2. Provide enhanced analytical support for cancer research by providing GPs with workshops, and analytical infrastructure to enhance contributions to cancer health disparities research. Quantitative and qualitative support from experienced biostatisticians and bioinformaticians aids in successful research in the basic and translational sciences to reduce the burdens caused by the racial disparities in cancer incidence. GUIDeS connects GPs to UACC Shared Resources with workshops to build research opportunities.

Aim 3. Support extended opportunities for professional and career development by providing academic career planning opportunities for early-stage faculty using a “mapping strategy” to set aside blocks of time for teaching, writing of grants and publications. GUIDeS assists in navigating the university promotion and tenure process, development of R01-level research, and promoting life/work balance. GUIDeS mentors GPs in training and mentoring student researchers as well as assisting with leadership development within NACP. GUIDeS provides support for work/balance strategies as well as facilitates cohort building amongst the NACP GPs.