Create Scholars

San Diego State University / UC San Diego Cancer Research and Education to Advance Health Equity (CREATE) Partnership

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SDSU | San Diego State University UC San Diego

About

CREATE Scholars, from the San Diego State University / UC San Diego Cancer Research and Education to Advance HealTh Equity (CREATE) Partnership is sponsored by the National Institutes of Health/National Cancer Institute (U54CA285117 (SDSU) and U54CA285115 (UC San Diego). Our mission is to grow the next generation of underrepresented research scientists and professionals devoted to solving cancer health disparities.

We offer a unique research internship, training, and mentorship opportunity to undergraduate students preparing for careers in research, STEM, healthcare, clinical social work, public health, and other jobs connected to cancer, cancer health disparities, and cancer prevention.

Watch Our Recruitment Video

CREATE Scholars Zoom Info Sessions

Come meet us! 
Fridays, January 26  - March 9, 2024
2:00 - 3:00pm

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Zoom ID: 820-3910-4167

Program Benefits

CREATE Scholars will offer a paid research internship to SDSU, SDSU-IV, and UCSD undergraduate students to work on cancer-related or cancer health disparity research projects for the 2024 summer and 2024-2025 academic year. SDSU students will have the opportunity to work with UCSD faculty and vice versa.

Benefits include:

  • Receive a $4,000 stipend to work on a cancer research project during the summer 2024 experience.
  • Receive funding to present your research at a national conference.
  • Receive support for graduate program application development, MCAT/GRE prep, and graduate application funding.


CREATE Scholars will also have the option to continue working on a cancer research project with SDSU or UC San Diego faculty during the 2024-25 academic year and will receive a $2,000 stipend per semester (~$1333.33 per quarter).

Research Areas

Cancer and/or cancer health disparities research areas include, but are not limited to, the following areas:

  • Bench research: biochemistry, bioengineering, cancer genomics, microbiology, molecular biology, medical pharmacology, organic chemistry, immunology, structural biology
  • Statistics and computer science: Bioinformatics, biostatistics, computational biology modeling, computer science
  • Public health, population, and socio-behavioral science: community health science, psychology, sociology, epidemiology, geography, social work, health communication, health policy and management, health promotion and education, nutrition and cancer
  • Clinical and Translational Research: clinical research, immunotherapy, personalized medicine, medical oncology

Eligibility Criteria

Students must:

  • Be a citizen or permanent resident of the United States.
  • Be a rising junior or senior undergraduate student, enrolling full-time for the 2024-2025 academic year, with at least 1-2 years left at SDSU, SDSU-IV, or UCSD before graduating (i.e., graduating in Spring 2025 or later).
  • Be from one or more of the following underrepresented groups:
    • Individuals with a documented permanent disability or disabilities, such as physical or mental impairments, that substantially limit major life activities.
    • Members from racial and ethnic minorities in the U.S. as defined by the National Institutes of Health, such as African Americans, Hispanics or Latinos, American Indians or Alaskan Natives, and Native Hawaiians and other Pacific Islanders. In addition, we recognize that ethnic groups such as Southeast Asians (Filipino, Vietnamese, Hmong, Cambodian, etc.) and Middle Eastern, Arab, and North Africans are underrepresented.
    • First-generation college student (i.e., parents/guardians do not hold a degree from a four-year college or university).
    • Individuals from a low-income background or who grew up in a social, cultural, or educational environment where they could not access the knowledge, skills, or abilities that facilitate opportunities to participate in research careers.
  • Have a cumulative grade point average commensurate with acceptance to postgraduate degree programs.
  • Have a goal of obtaining a graduate degree(s) in a research-based STEM field (MS, PhD), public health (MPH), pharmacology (PharmD), clinical social work (MSW), clinical psychology (PsyD), health professional degree (e.g., PA, RN, MSN, DNP, MD, DO) or other certificate programs related to oncology (i.e., Certified Genetic Counselor).

Research experience is not required to participate in the CREATE Scholars research program. We will train you.

Program Requirements

CREATE Scholars must commit to participating in the full length of the program:

  • A Full-Time (40 hrs./wk.) Summer Research Experience at UC San Diego from June 24 – August 14, 2024.

CREATE Scholars will have the option to continue into our academic year research experience:

  • A part-time, 10-15 hrs./wk., for a total ~150 hrs./semester research experience, working on a cancer research project with SDSU, SDSU-IV, or UC San Diego faculty.

CREATE Scholars from SDSU must also complete required coursework and professional development opportunities each semester as assigned.

  • PSY 492: Responsible Conduct of Scientific Research – 1-unit CR/NCR course in the Fall 2024 Semester.
  • PH 499: Cancer Health Disparities Journal Club - 1-unit CR/NCR course in the Spring 2025 Semester.

CREATE Scholars from UC San Diego and SDSU-IV must also complete the required in-person Responsible Conduct of Research training for the academic year internship via the UC San Diego and SDSU-IV campus. 

Application Information

We will recruit our next cohort of CREATE Scholars at SDSUSDSU-IV, and UC San Diego in Spring 2024. Incoming Fall 2024 SDSU, SDSU-IV and UC San Diego transfer students are welcome to apply.

Begin the CREATE Scholars Application Process

Questions?

For questions regarding the CREATE Scholars Program, Application Process, or Student Eligibility:

Meet the Team

Headshot of Ricardo

Ricardo Zayas, Ph.D.

CREATE Scholars Co-Director
Professor of Biology
Department of Biology
San Diego State University

Headshot of Dennis

Dennis Trinidad, Ph.D., MPH

CREATE Scholars Co-Director
Associate Professor
Department of Family Medicine and Public Health
UC San Diego

Headshot of Mercedes

Mercedes A. Mendoza, MSc

CREATE Scholars Coordinator
SDSU-UCSD CREATE Partnership
E-Mail: [email protected]

Acknowledgements

CREATE Scholars, from the San Diego State University/ UC San Diego Cancer Research and Education to Advance HealTh Equity (CREATE) Partnership is sponsored and supported by the National Cancer Institute of the National Institutes of Health under award numbers U54CA285117 (SDSU) and U54CA285115 (UC San Diego).