Diversity in Who We Are
The MCC diversity strategy involves shaping our future to have greater representation of people who are underrepresented in science and medicine.
Center diversity goal
Our goal is to have our cancer center community mirror our population diversity. In 2018 only one third of our leadership roles were held by women. As of 2023, women fill half of our senior leadership roles. We still have work to do to establish pathways and welcome people to MCC who bring diverse perspectives, lived experiences, and backgrounds to inform our efforts and science, including those who the NIH has defined as under-represented in extramural research and our population composition in Minnesota.
Align and advance DEI work
Everyone is involved in DEI work in some way. Our efforts are guided and supported by key institutional concepts and efforts. M Health Fairview, a key clinical partner, also has diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts to reflect the communities we live and work with who are impacted by cancer in clinical settings. The University of Minnesota Medical School Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (ODEI) is another key partner in advancing our workforce representation of historically underrepresented populations.
We also align our work with the commitments and expertise of the University of Minnesota workplace diversity efforts. This involves actively promoting diversity in our workforce and engaging with UMN resources to advance MCC’s DEI efforts.
Leadership development, succession planning and talent gaps
Leadership planning, succession, and addressing talent gaps will ensure smooth transitions in leadership and cancer science at the MCC and expose promising URSM to leadership and technical opportunities. Succession efforts will necessarily involve developing talent over time. Such efforts may include shadowing incumbent leaders, mentoring, and training
Student opportunities to explore cancer research
Internships in Cancer Research. Summer undergraduate research opportunities seek to attract students from under-represented backgrounds to explore their interest in cancer research. We work closely with the training programs at the cancer center to welcome people from under-represented backgrounds into cancer careers.
Support for early career cancer researchers
We maintain track and share opportunities for cancer researchers. Please contact the DEI team if you would like to explore options about mentorship, knowing the types of support and services at the UMN and MCC or have a strategic conversation about how to advance your cancer career. Our list of funding resources is available for UMN account holders. The NCI Center to Reduce Cancer Health Disparities (CRCHD) also maintains a list of funding for research and training.