USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center
Students and mentors are then e-introduced and e-meet, and students prepare for the summer by reading background and submitting a brief Research Proposal. Upon arrival on-site, students are immersed in their research project under their faculty mentors, visit centers of emerging sciences, participate in social activities, interact with faculty, trainees, and cancer survivors and engage in a dynamic interactive curriculum of selected topics in oncology, career development, research skills, research communication, and responsible conduct of research.
Students are immersed in their research projects under the guidance and mentorship of faculty members located at CHLA and/or USC. A rich educational program includes visit to centers of emerging sciences, social activities, interactions with faculty, trainees, and cancer survivors, and a dynamic interactive curriculum of selected topics in oncology, career development, research skills, research communication, and responsible conduct of research. Students further enhance their skills through presenting a poster of their work and an oral presentation of their project to a faculty meeting at the end of the summer.
Students are encouraged to present their work at local, national, and international scientific conferences and to publish their project as a peer-reviewed scientific paper. Through follow-up, we have found that many SORFites developed successful medical careers that include cancer research and recent disciplines.
Below are publications and presentations authored and co-authored by SORFites with their SORF mentors. Bold is the SORFite and underlined is their mentor(s):
Full length, peer-reviewed papers from SORFites in recent years
SORF-based publications 2019-2024:
Conference Presentations:
Several other 2024 SORFites have communicated acceptance to conferences, but have not yet sent the information.
Students receive subsistence while in the summer program (in 2024 it is $600/full week). Travel to/from Los Angeles and partial housing assistance are also provided to qualifying students. With mentor and program approval, students can be supported to continue their research project remotely beyond the summer, to complete their projects and data analysis, prepare their manuscript(s), and bring their research to fruition. Students are encouraged to present their research at a scientific conference with possibility to have part of the expenses covered by SORF.
Applications for 2025 will open November 1, 2024, more information to be provided.
Applications are submitted electronically via the Summer Oncology Research Fellowship Application website. Click HERE to apply.
In addition to the online application, the following documents are required:
Please submit your requests for letters of recommendation as soon as possible as these usually take time.
The application will detail how to submit these documents so please print those pages for your reference. Applications will not be considered complete without all necessary documents and will not be reviewed unless submitted in the proper format.
epstein@usc.edu
Martin.Kast@med.usc.edu