We are delighted to announce the launch of the Janssen Scholars of Oncology Diversity Engagement Program (SODEP): details are available at www.janssensodep.com. See the flyer here. SODEP consists of three steps:
- Exposure to industry at the virtual Janssen Oncology Day, an all-day program that will provide an overview of the various opportunities within science and medicine.
- One-on-one mentorship. Up to 10 scholars who attend Janssen Oncology Day will be selected for this step of the program, in which the scholars will be paired with Janssen leaders in an ongoing one-year mentoring experience, where they will receive career coaching and guidance. In addition, scholars will receive a $10,000 stipend for conference travel, research supplies, and training courses.
- Potential placement. If scholars are interested in transitioning into a career in industry, their relationship with their mentor will provide them with support in identifying and applying for any appropriate open positions at Janssen.
Those that meet the following requirements are eligible to participate in SODEP:
- self-identify as African-American/Black or Hispanic
- citizens or permanent residents of the United States or Canada
- full-time PhD students in year 2 or later, Pharm D students, 1st/2nd year medical students, and postdoctoral fellowsÂ
- engaged or interested in oncology or other closely related disciplines such as immunology, molecular biology, biochemistry, pharmaceutical sciences, computational biology/data sciences, clinical research, and pharmacology.
Registration is currently open for the Janssen Oncology Day, which will take place on September 15, 2021. We encourage early registration, as admission is rolling and will be closed when we reach 100 registrants.
We all believe that an increase in scientists and physicians from diverse backgrounds is a necessity to address the numerous health inequities that currently exist in certain populations within our society. The intent of this program is to provide promising students a unique opportunity towards obtaining the best research and employment opportunities within industry or academia, and to set themselves up for success in their long-term career in the sciences.