The Massey/VCU’s McCaskill-Stevens K12 for Community Oncology and Prevention Research

The Massey/VCU McCaskill-Stevens K12 for Community Oncology and Prevention Research will mentor promising, multidisciplinary, early-stage clinical investigators in the conception, development, and implementation of innovative cancer prevention and control studies designed to optimize participation by cancer survivors and individuals most at risk for cancer throughout Virginia. The Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center (Massey) at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU), a 50-year National Cancer Institute (NCI)-designated Center, is the ideal training environment for this McCaskill-Stevens K12 program as it is part of a safety-net health system, which provides cancer care to all. As a participating institution in the NCI Community Oncology Research Program since 1990, Massey has also built a state-wide network to provide access to cutting-edge clinical and community-based research studies in the areas of symptom management, cancer prevention, health-related quality of life, and cancer care delivery. The experienced Massey investigators leading and providing mentoring for this McCaskill-Stevens K12 program are engaged in and committed to cancer prevention and control research and have strong track records of mentoring clinical residents, fellows, and early-career faculty to develop and lead investigator-initiated and national studies as part of the NCI Clinical Trials Network and other NCORP research bases. During the five-year project period, six K12 Scholars will participate in a variety of courses and career development experiences, and they will be guided by a mentoring triad that will include at least one well-funded cancer prevention and control investigator, an experienced clinical trialist, and a Community Champion who together will promote bi- directional perspectives as interventions are designed, implemented, analyzed, and disseminated. Over their two-year, grant-funded tenure in this program, each K12 Scholar will be afforded the time, effort, and resources to conduct cancer prevention and control-related pilot research, write and implement an investigator-initiated interventional study, seek extramural funding to support their future investigations and/or further career development, and submit manuscripts based on their research. These K12 Scholars will continue to receive two further years of salary support from Massey beyond the initial K12-funded period to realize their maximum potential as independent investigators. The McCaskill-Stevens K12 program leaders will continually evaluate the success of the K12 Scholars, mentors, and program activities based on both short- and long-term outcomes, reassessing and modifying the program to provide each new cohort with an optimal career development experience. This McCaskill-Stevens K12 program will ensure that the next generation of oncologists and cancer-focused healthcare providers have the ability to design community-centric cancer prevention and control research that meets the needs necessary to eliminate the cancer burden for all Virginians. Project Number: 1K12CA300624-01A1 | Fiscal Year: 2026 | NIH Institute/Center: National Cancer Institute (NCI) | Principal Investigator: Oxana Palesh (+2 co-PIs) | Institution: VIRGINIA COMMONWEALTH UNIVERSITY, RICHMOND, VA | Award Amount: $54,000 | Activity Code: K12 | Study Section: Special Emphasis Panel[ZRG1 BTC-K (50)] View on NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/11289664