Education & Training Programs

The path to choosing a career can be one of the most challenging, exciting, and surprising moments in your life.

We believe that you all have the talent and potential to make a difference in so many lives by pursuing a health or cancer research related career. Whether you’re a high school student, a college sophomore, a postdoc, or a junior investigator, we’re ready to help you successfully launch and advance your health or cancer research career. We’ve pulled together the full resources of ChicagoCHEC institutions and partners and are excited to launch many unique programs to help support your career journey.


ChicagoCHEC Research Fellows Program »

Undergraduates and post-baccalaureates  from Northwestern, NEIU, UIC, and community/junior colleges in the Chicago metropolitan area will have the opportunity to be placed in innovative cancer research lab rotations to develop academic, technical, and professional skills in preparation for careers in social, behavioral, and biomedical research and in healthcare.


ChicagoCHEC Learning Experiences and Programs (LEaP) »

ChicagoCHEC Learning Experiences and Programs (LEaP) matches alumni of the CHEC Fellows Program for a semester or summer term to one-on-one mentored immersion experiences after the CHEC Fellows program. The experiences can be related to wet or dry lab cancer research in a research laboratory or an experience with one of our community partners to further prepare students for the research workforce and graduate/professional programs focused on the nexus of cancer and health disparities.


Health Disparities Curriculum

Rigorous health disparities curriculum at UIC and NEIU activate undergraduates toward careers in cancer research with a special lens toward improving cancer health equity. Coming soon – contact us to learn more.


Service Learning Programs

Our service learning program brings NEIU, UIC and NU students into local high schools and community colleges while providing opportunities for groups of high school/community college students to visit cancer research labs. Students build professional networks and long-term mentoring relationships. Coming soon – contact us to get involved or to learn more.


Mentoring for Early Career Faculty and Junior Investigators

To support the career development and advancement of minority and underrepresented faculty and scientists, the Mentoring and Project Team (MPT) of the Planning and Evaluation will help match early stage investigators with senior mentors at NEIU, UIC, and NU.  Contact us to get involved or to learn more.


Skills Workshops

Meetings and workshops for all levels of trainees (e.g., undergraduates, graduate students, fellows) build skills across the research spectrum while preparing trainees for career opportunities and career advancement. Take a look at our program calendar or contact us to learn more.


Career 911 Academy

Our massive open online course (MOOC) “Career 911: Your Future Job in Medicine and Healthcare” packages health careers exploration with professional development skills such as articulating a personal story, resume and cover letter writing, job search, interviewing, networking and professional communications. Career 911 is a self-paced course and a resource for educators, parents, and career counselors. Available for free at Coursera: https://www.coursera.org/learn/healthcarejobs