Plan to Enhance Diversity

PLAN TO ENHANCE DIVERSITY (PED): ABSTRACT The University of Florida Health Cancer Center (UFHCC) is committed to building a workforce reflecting the diverse U.S. population with scientific capabilities, leadership skills, and cultural competency to address racial, geographic, structural, and socioeconomic disparities in the UFHCC catchment area. The PED is directed by

Ricks-Santi (CCPS), Associate Director for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) and supported by a DEI Committee charged with setting goals for diversity, developing activities to enhance diversity, mentoring, and monitoring progress. The current UFHCC membership is 35% female and 9% underrepresented minorities

(URM), up from 28% and 6%, respectively, at the 2019 CCSG submission. Among the 58 new recruits to the UFHCC since 2016, 26 (45%) were women. The UFHCC recruited 10 URMs (17%; 5 Black and 5 Hispanic members) of which the majority are ESIs. Since 2019, 4 women were appointed to leadership positions (2 ADs,

1 program leader, and 1 Disease Site Group Leader), with 1 being a URM. Building on this progress, opportunities identified include a) increasing diversity in the cancer research training pipeline and academic workforce; b) increasing the number of cancer research training programs and opportunities focused on groups

underrepresented in the cancer research workforce (URGs); c) increasing the number of URG members, including those promoted and holding tenure; and, d) increasing opportunities and positions for women and other members of URGs to join cancer center leadership. The PED has 4 aims: 1) enhance the diversity of the cancer

research workforce, community, and advisory boards; 2) recruit, mentor, and sponsor diverse and inclusive cohorts of scholars into professional development programs to create future leaders of the UFHCC and the cancer research community; 3) leverage and strengthen institutional infrastructure and resources to ensure the

success of URMs, women, and other URGs in the cancer workforce and leadership; and 4) develop processes and metrics to evaluate progress and ensure continuous improvement on institutional culture. The PED will build on a foundation developed by CaRTEC and the CaRE2 Health Equity Center, the latter in partnership with Norris-

USC and Florida A&M University (a Historically Black University in the catchment area). This includes pre- collegiate, undergraduate, and postbaccalaureate programs for populations underrepresented in the cancer research workforce, including URMs. The UFHCC PED will develop programs and activities that increase the

diversity of the cancer research community through UFHCC initiated training, recruitment, retention, and promotion. This includes new applications for URG-focused R25 and T32 grants. The UFHCC PED augments recruitment of graduate and medical students to cancer specific programs by leveraging affinity groups, recruiting

faculty using inclusive processes to identify a diverse talent pool, and creation of communities, structured mentorship, and sponsorship to enhance faculty development and retention. Lastly, PED and CaRTEC will develop an Emerging Leaders Program to increase the diversity of the next generation of UFHCC leaders.