Who are underrepresented populations?

NIH encourages institutions to diversify their student and faculty populations to enhance the participation of individuals from populations historically marginalized in science (NIH definition). 

What research experiences and courses for skill development are available?

Programming for scholars includes high-quality immersive research experiences and workshops designed to ensure that trainees have acquired the skills necessary for being successful in the laboratory and ultimately to be highly competitive for top-tier graduate programs in biomedical science. While individual needs of ICARE fellows entering the program will ultimately determine what courses they take, they are generally expected to have 25% time available for programmatic commitments, seminars, and workshops.

Can ICARE Fellows have their student loans deferred?

ICARE Fellows are considered employees, and as such, are not enrolled in any academic program. This precludes the use of any in-school deferment options. Fellows can request income-driven repayment plans, such as PAYE or RePAY, with potentially lower or zero monthly student loan payments based on discretionary income. All graduates have a six-month grace period before they are required to begin payments toward their federal student loan debt. Any applicant with questions related to student loans should contact their loan servicer.

Will there be an orientation?

ICARE fellows enter the program as a cohort in early August and spend the first week in social orientation activities to develop a sense of community on and off the UI campus. This orientation coincides with iDREAM to build a cohort of diverse post-baccalaureates joining the UI community simultaneously. This orientation includes an overview by the PDs (Houtman & Burnett) of the wide variety of available research within the ICARE Postbaccalaureate Program. All fellows participate in a Bootcamp Skill Building Series that addresses key topics that students in our cancer-related labs have provided feedback that they wish they would have gotten more training on early in their career, including: how to find good mentors, how to be an effective mentee, grantsmanship, presentation skills, networking, writing skills, and learning about fellowship opportunities. Through attending weekly seminar, ICARE fellows get to know near-peer mentors, Cancer Biology graduate students. Peer mentorship is an important strategy for getting support and overcoming imposter syndrome. Additionally, the Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center hosts monthly informal gatherings for ICARE fellows, iDREAM fellows, ICARE mentors, and other trainees at Iowa to discuss student questions, share stories, and further instill a sense of belonging amongst our students.

How do I know which lab to join?

Students have several research labs with strong mentorship expertise spanning a broad range of cancer-related disciplines. ICARE leadership facilitate virtual meet-ups with potential mentors to help determine an appropriate lab fit. Upon undergoing orientation activities aimed at giving students an overview of research at Iowa and immediately fostering their sense of belonging in the program (week 1), students will begin integration into their research laboratory/group.

Will I need to complete my own research project?

Upon completion of the matching process, fellows will work with their research mentors to identify feasible projects that will help them to experience all aspects of the research process (including experimental design and planning, data collection, analysis, interpretation, and communication of findings). Mentors will be strongly encouraged to prioritize putting fellows on projects with both team and independent components for which a manuscript is planned to be submitted during the fellows’ two years in the program. Mentors will be instructed to be thoughtful about pairing the fellows with post-docs and grad students in the lab who have demonstrated emotional maturity and cultural awareness, and to continue to develop those mentors along these lines. Program Leadership meet with fellows several times a year to provide career coaching and will work closely with the fellows to ensure there are effective avenues and outlets for resolving conflicts and working out problems during the laboratory phase of the program. This structure of mentorship also ensures that there are three faculty members who will have worked closely with the fellow and be able to write strong recommendation letters based on the fellow's performance in coursework and the laboratory.

Do I have to do any public speaking?

The ICARE Postbaccalaureate program supports public speaking by trainees as they prepare and deliver quarterly updates on their research project, and receive constructive feedback on their presentation skills and the science, as well as presentations at HCCC's Research Seminar Series. Peers and faculty mentors evaluate the presentations and fill out a structured questionnaire that will be sent to both the scholar and their mentor. They will also have an opportunity to present a poster at the Holden Scientific Retreat each summer, at national and regional meetings (ex: ABRCMS, Iowa Cancer Summit), and at schools in Iowa with students without substantial research opportunities. At the conclusion of the program, trainees will have a well-developed and articulate presentation of their work that they can “take on the road” for graduate student interviews, will have learned how to “hear” and to answer questions, and be knowledgeable with respect to their research project.

How is support provided for time management and professionalism?

The ICARE program introduces and reinforces the concept of professionalism – e.g., fulfilling commitments, meeting deadlines, fostering good workplace relationships. At the beginning of the program, orientation will emphasize the importance of timeliness, arriving at work prepared to work, proper submission of work records, following rules of attire, advance requests for vacation and time off for appointments, proper use of email and university resources, etc. We support fellows to develop effective time management and organization skills in the Bootcamp Skill Building Series portion of the program.

How do you really plan on building confidence?

Based upon prior postbac training programs, trainees have benefited from learning the importance of patience and perseverance, learning how to reach out to others for assistance, and developing self-confidence in their abilities. It is important for post-bac students to develop a “sense of belonging” with graduate students. Thus, in addition to participation in the HCCC Research Seminar Series, the ICARE fellows will be invited to a series of annual social events in the Cancer Biology Graduate Program. Based on prior experiences, the near-peer mentor pairing will be critical to fostering that sense of belong through one-on-one relationship building, combined with networking with the graduate students in large and small group settings. Our fellows will be placed in laboratories with graduate students, they attend seminars with graduate students, they hear graduate students give work-in-progress talks, join lunches that graduate students have with outside speakers, and engage in programming and attend events sponsored by the Association of Multicultural Scientists, a graduate student-run organization that fosters a community of inclusion. This informal indoctrination of fellows into the graduate school culture sets the groundwork for understanding their expectations of doctoral students.