Cancer Health Equity Training Program
The University of Chicago Medicine Comprehensive Cancer Center (UCCCC) Cancer Health Equity Training Program (CHETP) is designed to broaden knowledge of cancer health disparities, enrich graduate and post-doctoral research experiences, and prepare trainees for a research career focused on eliminating health disparities and achieving cancer health equity.
During the one-year program, trainees will focus on three components of cancer health equity: community engagement, clinical experience, and policy/advocacy. Upon successful completion of the one-year CHETP program, trainees may apply for a second year, during which they will focus on a community-, clinical-, or policy-centered project.Expectations
This is a joint training opportunity, along with the students' graduate committee or fellowship program, to enhance a student's research experience and provide greater exposure to topics in cancer health disparities. As part of the program, CHETP fellows will:
- Attend monthly meetings as part of the UCCCC Health Equity Working Group (3rd Mondays of each month, 12-1pm) from November 2026 – June 2027
- Register for, audit, or TA the "Health Disparities in Breast Cancer" winter course (Mondays and Wednesdays, 3-4:20pm, Winter Quarter)
- Complete 10 hours each of community, clinical, and policy engagement over the course of the one-year program
- Attend additional specialized workshops, as available
Benefits
- Mentorship from and networking with health equity-focused researchers, community organizations, and advocacy groups
- $1500 in support to attend and present at the AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities or another conference related to cancer health equity
Eligibility
- Master’s/PhD students must:
- Be enrolled in a masters, doctoral or combined masters/doctoral at the University of Chicago.
- Should be starting their third year (or higher) of PhD training or second year of master’s when the program begins (exceptions may be considered).
- Have a clear and demonstrated interest in cancer health equity.
- Postdoctoral trainees must:
- Be conducting research related to cancer or health disparities and/or be interested in cancer health equity.
- Be a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Chicago.
- Students are not required to be a citizen or permanent resident of the U.S.
How to Apply
Submit your application here: https://redcap.link/CHETP2026-27
Applications for the 2026-2027 Cancer Health Equity Training Program are due Friday, October 16, 2026 at 11:59 pm CT.
To apply, please prepare:
Master's/PhD Trainees
- Biosketches for you and your research mentor
- One letter of recommendation from your research mentor. **Please inform your research mentor they will be contacted directly from program administration with further instructions.**
- First Year CHETP:
- A personal statement (no more than one page) about your research and/or interests in cancer health disparities and how participating in this training program will help achieve your career objectives
- Second Year CHETP:
- A project proposal (no more than one page) about your planned CHETP continuation project. Your project should focus on one aspect of cancer health disparities (clinical, community, policy) with a minimum of 30 hours of planned effort.
Postdoctoral Trainees
- Biosketch or CV
- First Year CHETP:
- A personal statement (no more than one page) about your research and/or interests in cancer health disparities and how participating in this training program will help achieve your career objectives
- Second Year CHETP:
- A project proposal (no more than one page) about your planned CHETP continuation project. Your project should focus on one aspect of cancer health disparities (clinical, community, policy) with a minimum of 30 hours of planned effort.
Contact:
UCCCC Office of Education and Career Development