Upper Midwest Emerging Scholars Exchange Program
The Upper Midwest Emerging Scholars Exchange is a new, collaborative effort to support the career development of early career faculty (MCC members in their first five years) in the region. The goal is to create opportunities for MCC faculty to receive invitations to speak at peer Midwest cancer centers. Not only will faculty have a chance to hone their oral presentation skills and bolster their CVs in preparation for promotion, but they will also have an opportunity to develop relationships with potential research collaborators, mentors, and sponsors.
For the 2024-2025 pilot year, partnering institutions will host one speaker and one speaker from each partnering institution will be selected to travel and speak at a partnering institution in the spring of 2025. In the future, we intend to exchange two scholars per academic year.
Program Details
Each scholar exchange experience will include the following:
- A speaking presentation at a Seminar Series, Grand Rounds, or other similar speaking program as determined by the hosting institution
- One-on-one meetings with faculty in research areas relevant to the visiting scholar
- Dinner with host institution faculty members or leadership
- Lunch with host institution early career faculty member or trainees
- A campus/facility tour
- Full travel expenses, including an overnight stay at a hotel near the host institution, transportation, and per diem
- $600 honorarium
Program participant eligibility requirements:
- Cancer Center members
- Assistant Professors in the first 5 years of their appointment
- Individuals who are in the final years of building their CV for promotion, who are building a robust research portfolio, but are still pre-tenure/ pre-promotion
Partnering Institutions
- Carbone Cancer Center at the University of Wisconsin-Madison
- Fred & Pamela Buffett Cancer Center at the University of Nebraska Medical School
- Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of Iowa
- Medical College of Wisconsin Cancer Center
- Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center - joining the program in the 2025
Application Process
Application opening November 2025
The following materials are needed to complete the application:
- Responses to four open-ended questions about your interest in the program and ideas for talks
- Ranked preference of host institutions
- Up-to-date CV or NIH biosketch
- A letter of recommendation from an MCC member - either a Program Area Leader, mentor, or collaborator
Program Timeline
- November-December 2024: Applications open
- January-March 2025: Applications reviewed & finalist(s) selected internally and then by partnering institutions
- March 2025: Selected scholars notified
- May-June 2025: Selected scholars visit host institutions
Questions?
Contact Emily Kraeske, Education & Training Inreach Coordinator, at kraes001@umn.edu.