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Community Programs & Outreach

Get involved with our community programs, which are jointly administered between the UNC Lineberger Office of Community Outreach & Engagement, the Cancer Research Training & Education Coordination (CRTEC) and the UNC Lineberger Cancer Network (UNCLCN).

Community Programs

UNC Lineberger-Sylvia Lauterborn and Warren Trent Piver Oncology Nursing Fellowship: The fellowship program grew out of a recognized need to strengthen the oncology nursing workforce. Together, the UNC School of Nursing and Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center established the fellowship program in 2016 with Dr. Deborah Mayer to provide UNC nursing students with rigorous training in inpatient, outpatient, and palliative care. After identifying the importance of supporting a diverse oncology nursing workforce, the program expanded in 2022 to include students from Historically Black Colleges and Universities, beginning with North Carolina Central University (NCCU) and now North Carolina A&T State University (NC A&T). Fellows collaborate closely with oncology nurses, deepening their knowledge of symptom management, clinical trials, and best practices in supportive care. Experiences range from inpatient, outpatient/ambulatory care centers, and community cancer hospitals such as UNC Rockingham.

Patients and Community Engagement to Educate Researchers (PEER) is a patient-centered partnership between patients, community members and researchers to include the human element into UNC Lineberger cancer research. PEER provides opportunities for researchers to engage with patient and community advocates through PEER engagements focused on communication, PEER Workshops focused on writing lay abstracts and PEER lectures to learn about advocate engagement and communication science to the public. The goal is to improve the lives of all cancer patients in our community.

Partners Research Educational Program (U54) introduces undergraduate students to basic cancer laboratory research and to public health research in areas in the prevention, incidence, treatment, mortality and morbidity of cancer. Students may choose either a Cancer Biology Concentration (UNC and NCCU students) or a Public Health Concentration (NCCU students only).

Boys & Girls Club of Durham and Orange Counties have an ongoing partnership with UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center’s Cancer Research Training and Education Coordination (CRTEC) program and Office of Community Outreach and Engagement (COE). Each month, predoctoral students, postdoctoral fellows and faculty members volunteered to go to the Boys & Girls Club and give lay language scientific talks to an audience of 5th through 8th graders. The talks were designed to give the middle school students an opportunity to learn about cancer in a fun, interactive way. Students also learned about what takes place in a lab and were invited to use a microscope. UNC Lineberger’s CRTEC and COE leadership is looking forward to collaborating with the Boys & Girls Club on the program in 2025, and is grateful for those at UNC Lineberger who have participated in the program. Please fill out the interest form if you would like to volunteer with the Boys & Girls Club.

Science Enrichment Preparation (S.E.P.) Program: Gain the competitive edge with S.E.P.! Held each summer on the UNC Chapel Hill campus, the S.E.P. Program is an eight-week, honors-level academic enrichment program that targets first-generation, rural, and/or socioeconomically disadvantaged undergraduate students (rising sophomores and juniors) who seek admission into Medical School or Dental School. Additionally, Scholars will receive educational supplies, lodging on the UNC Chapel Hill campus, limited travel expenses (contingent upon funding) and a competitive stipend.

Medical Education Development (MED) Program: The Medical Education Development (MED) Program is an intensive educational experience and challenging opportunity to gain insight into the realities of attending medical or dental school.

Exploring Cancer: Examining the Role of Biology, Race, Class, and Socioeconomics is a seminar series for undergraduate students, featuring cancer biologists, physicians, public health experts, and other specialists from UNC-Chapel Hill, NCCU, and NC A&T. Students gain insights into cancer research, treatment, and prevention, while exploring oncology research and clinical professions.

Please contact lccctraining@unc.edu for any questions regarding these listings or educational opportunities.