title: Mentoring and Training of Cancer-Related Health Disparities Researchers Committed to Community-Based Participatory Research.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The National Cancer Institute's (NCI) Community Networks Program Centers (CNPCs) provide community-based participatory research (CBPR)-oriented mentoring and training to prepare early-stage/midcareer investigators and student trainees (trainees) in disparities reduction. This paper describes the academic, mentoring, training, and work-life balance experiences of CNPC-affiliated trainees.
  
  
  METHODS
  We used a collaborative and iterative process to develop a 57-item, web-based questionnaire completed by trainees from the 23 CNPCs between August 2012 and February 2013. Their CNPC mentors completed a 47-item questionnaire. Descriptive statistics were calculated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The final analytic sample included 189 of 269 individuals (70%) identified as active participants in CNPC research or training/mentoring. Mentors (n=45) were mostly non-Hispanic White (77.8%) and 48.9% were male. Mentors published a median of 6 (interquartile range [IQR], 3-12) first-authored and 15 (IQR, 6-25) senior authored manuscripts, and secured 15 (IQR, 11-29) grants from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and other sources in the previous 5 years. Most trainees (n=144) were female (79.2%), 43.7% were underrepresented racial/ethnic minorities, and 36.8% were first-generation college graduates. Over the previous 5 years, trainees reported a median of 4 (IQR, 1-6) publications as first author and 4 (IQR, 2-8) as co-author; 27.1% reported having one or more NIH R01s. Trainees reported satisfaction with their CNPC mentor (79.1%) and confidence in demonstrating most CBPR competencies.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The CNPC training program consists of a scientifically productive pool of mentors and trainees. Trainees reported rates of scholarly productivity comparable to other national training programs and provided insights into relationships with mentors, academic pressures, and professional-personal life balance.
authors.forename: Tisha M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Felder
authors.forename: Kathryn L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Braun
authors.forename: Heather M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Brandt
authors.forename: Samira
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Khan
authors.forename: Sora
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tanjasiri
authors.forename: Daniela B
authors.initials: DB
authors.lastname: Friedman
authors.forename: Cheryl A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Armstead
authors.forename: Kolawole S
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Okuyemi
authors.forename: James R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Hébert
mesh_terms: D019058:Community Networks; D055812:Community-Based Participatory Research / Q000458:organization & administration*; D005260:Female; D054624:Health Status Disparities; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008611:Mentors; D008913:Minority Groups; D054547:National Cancer Institute (U.S.) / Q000458:organization & administration*; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000208:ethnology*; D044469:Racial Groups; D012108:Research Personnel / Q000193:education*; D014481:United States