Frequently Asked Questions

• Harvard Cancer Consortium (HCC) is a comprehensive cancer center designated by the National Cancer Institute and is the first collaborative effort to bring together the intellectual resources of its seven partner institutions to focus on one mission—the eradication of cancer. These institutions are: Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston Children's Hospital, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, and Massachusetts General Hospital.
• HCC is NOT Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, although the Institute is a partner institution of HCC.
• The CURE program is housed within HCC’s Initiative to Eliminate Cancer Disparities. The Initiative uses an integrative approach to focus on disparities reduction throughout all aspects of HCC structure and activities through facilitation of clinical trials recruitment efforts, original research focused on new discoveries related to understanding the causes of and solutions to cancer disparities, as well as development of increased faculty and trainee diversity. The CURE program is designed to introduce students to the exciting world of cancer research. Students will be placed with a mentor who conducts cancer-related research at one of our seven partner institutions.

• Because the program is primarily funded by federal agencies, it is only open to U.S. citizens or permanent residents who can provide their I-551 card number.

• There is no minimum GPA requirement, but competitive applicants do have a record of academic achievement, especially in recent courses. Their interest in science and research is, in part, demonstrated by the courses they've taken.

Applicants are not required to have prior research experience.

• No, the deadline is strictly adhered to for submission of applications.

• Letters of recommendation are due at the same time as the application. Late letters of recommendation will not be accepted, and applications with missing letters of recommendation will not be considered.

• The application cycle opens in the fall of the previous year (usually October)

• Most of the presenters are Harvard faculty and have indicated an interest in engaging with students participating in the program. In addition, we seek input from our current and past student participants to determine topics of interest.

• The amount of the stipend is determined at the start of each program year. The stipend is determined by HCC funding sources, which vary from year to year.
• A stipend is provided on a weekly basis. We are unable to pay overtime to students.

• Housing is not provided for students who reside or attend school in Massachusetts—it is the student’s responsibility to acquire their own housing. 
• Housing will be provided for students accepted into the CURE-RAI Program who reside outside of Massachusetts and attend college out of state..

• There are ample networking opportunities for students to connect with peers, scientists, and other professionals. As part of the research internship, students must attend weekly seminars given by prominent researchers and physicians, career networking events, team building and social activities, and events bringing students from multiple summer programs together. Students are also highly encouraged to network within their own department and seek out opportunities for themselves—former students have shadowed doctors, observed surgeries, etc. in the past because of the networks they built over the summer. There will also be opportunities to network with students from other research programs in the Greater Boston area.

• Start dates vary depending on the program. Check program specific pages for exact dates. In general, the YES for CURE Program begins in February, and the summer research programs run from May to August.

• HCC training programs provide access to opportunities to conduct scientific research in cancer. While students do not need to demonstrate prior experience in cancer research, a strong applicants have an interest in being involved in new types of cancer research conducted at HCC partner institutions.

• Our partner institutions include Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston Children’s Hospital, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Massachusetts General Hospital, and University of Massachusetts - Boston.

• Most projects are a subset of a larger project already underway in your assigned research environment, or are related in some other way to a larger project. They are usually specially designed and developed for you by your mentors.

• This is an opportunity to be involved in cancer-related research conducted at HCC partner institutions. Check HCC's list of research programs for details. 
• Students can be assigned to a variety of oncology-related environments across the basic, bioinformatic and data sciences, clinical,population, and nursing science research spectrum.
  • Basic science research 
    This includes the fields of genetics, molecular biology, cell and developmental biology. Basic science research looks for the answers to problems at the fundamental level. It is done in laboratories using beakers and test tubes, not people. Basic science researchers look at the micro level (the cellular and molecular level) to better understand larger issues, such as diseases and disorders.
  • Bioinformatics and cancer data science research 
    This involves extracting meaningful information from large data sets by using mathematics, advanced computing techniques, and big data. This kind of work includes things like multi-omics, epigenetic profiling, and in silico experiments using computer simulations and AI models.
  • Clinical science research 
    This is patient-oriented research (conducted with human subjects or on material of human origin, such as tissue or other specimens). It includes research that determines the safety and effectiveness of medications, devices, diagnostic products, and treatment regimens intended for human use.
  • Population science research 
    This includes epidemiological and behavioral studies as well as research that looks at health disparities and other community-based outcomes.
  • Nursing research
    This type of research focuses on nursing practice as it pertains to health promotion, disease prevention, quality of life and end of life care.
• Students should be as specific as possible when listing areas of research interest in their application. These may range from cancer genomics to breast cancer to cancer health disparities to symptom science.

• Every attempt is made to match students and mentors who have similar research interests. We will also consider special requests to work in particular cancer-related departments; however, all participating mentors must be HCC members. It is helpful for the student to be as specific as possible when listing areas of research interest in their application. Check Harvard Cancer Consortium's web site for details on the various cancer-related research being conducted and the scientists (your potential mentors) who are conducting the research. If you identify particular people or an area you would like to work in, please list those on your application.

• HCC training program students are required to present their research findings, whether complete or incomplete, to colleagues and researchers at the end of the summer in a formal presentation. Due to the program length, some students may not obtain definitive results before the summer ends. Students may follow up with their mentors to get updates regarding the research they conducted.

• Students are paired individually with different mentors. Research may sometimes be similar but students typically do not work in the same research environment together since HCC training programs focus on developing an individual research experience.

• Please see the testimonials section for further information.

• Yes—please contact us at hcc_cure@mgb.org for more information.

• Contact us at hcc_cure@mgb.org