A diverse and competent cancer research workforce

At the Knight Cancer Institute, the Cancer Research Training and Education Coordination Core develops and maintains elite programs and support to build an increasingly diverse and prepared cancer research workforce. The goal of the CRCE Core is to provide education and career enhancement activities that prepare all trainees, faculty and staff for sustained, productive and fulfilling careers within cancer research.

CRCE activities facilitate connections for students, trainees and researchers within and between the institute's research programs and shared resources, which in turn stimulates innovations in cancer diagnosis and treatment.

The CRCE Core recognizes that the best teams are composed of diverse voices where all members feel respected and able to share their thoughts and opinions. In alignment with the institute's strategic plan to support a culture of inclusion and innovation, the CRCE Core is committed to increasing diversity and inclusion through recruitment, as well as by preparing this new diverse workforce for promotion to leadership positions. At every stage in the training continuum, our focus is on inclusion of individuals identifying with under-represented groups across race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, immigration status, language proficiency, and ability.

The institute is proud to have started many educational programs aimed at leadership training designed especially for these populations. By supporting all students, trainees, faculty and employees in their professional development, the institute has grown into a premier cancer center finding cures for the patients within our catchment area and beyond. Please look below to learn about educational and training opportunities.

Program opportunites

K-12 Students

• Ted R. Lilley CURE Program
• Knight Scholars Program
• Fluorescence Molecular Imaging Internship Program

Undergraduate Students

• BUILD EXITO
• CDCB Summer Internship
• Equity Research Program
• Fluorescence Molecular Imaging Internship Program
• Murdock Collaborative Research Program
• Oregon Institute of Occupational Health Sciences Summer Internships
• Short-Term Research Experience for Underrepresented Persons (STEP-UP)
• Summer Administrative Internship Program

Graduate Students

• Cancer Biology Graduate Program
• Graduate Program in Biomedical Sciences
• Bioinformatics and Computational Biomedicine Major
• Biomedical Engineering Ph.D. program
• M.D./Ph.D. Training Program

Clinical Residents and Fellows

• Hematology and Medical Oncology Fellowship Program
• Advanced Practice Provider Hematology/Oncology Fellowship
• Radiation Oncology Residency Program
• Surgical Oncology Training Program
• Pediatric Hematology and Oncology Fellowship
• Wy'east Pathway

Postdoctoral Researchers

• Office of Postdoctoral Affairs
• KnightWalks
• Pancreatic Disease Research Training Fellowship
• Work-in-Progress Seminar Series
• Postdoctoral Opportunities in Tumor Microenvironment/Immunology

Junior Faculty

• Educators' Collaborative
• Junior Faculty Advancement Program (OHSU ID Required)
• OCTRI Design Studio
• OCTRI KL2 Program
• Human Investigations Program
• Professional Development Series (OHSU ID Required)

Ancillary Staff

• Career and Workplace Enhancement Center
• LinkedIn Learning (formerly Lynda.com) (OHSU ID Required)
• Professional Development Reimbursement Program (OHSU ID Required)
• School of Nursing

Shadowing opportunities

The Knight Cancer Institute welcomes students of all backgrounds to shadow with us, and get hands-on experience in cancer research.

You will spend time with research staff during part of their routine day in one of our research labs. The goal is for you to experience the workplace setting as well as the duties performed by research staff in our research labs and understand some of the qualities required for a career in science and research

Please remember, openings in labs are in a constant state of flux and depend on mentorship availability, commitment levels, and the nature of projects; we will do our best to match you with a lab of your interest.

Shadowing opportunities at Knight Cancer Institute

• Coming soon!

OHSU has many other shadowing and volunteer opportunities to explore here:

• Open research volunteer opportunities for everyone (student, non-student, adults, and minors) at OHSU. 
• Research experience for local high school students through the Partnership for Scientific Inquiry.

If you cannot find an opportunity at OHSU, there are many other places to continue the search:

• Portland State University Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) Program.
• BUILD EXITO Undergraduate Scholarship at Portland State University.
• Nationally Competitive opportunities list provided by Reed College. 
• Scholarships, Internships, and Research Experiences workshops and opportunity list provided by Portland Community College.