MARCH: Moffitt Accelerating Research Careers in High School Program

The Moffitt Accelerating Research Careers in High School (MARCH) Program provides research experiences at Moffitt for high school students ages 16 and above to help expose them to cancer research and expand their scientific skills and knowledge. The program aims to help prepare high school students for college in a STEM major and eventually a career in a cancer research-related field. The MARCH program includes both wet and dry lab training opportunities.

MARCH trainees participate in basic wet laboratory or dry laboratory research training under the mentorship of Moffitt faculty to develop their skills and knowledge base. The program is directed by Moffitt's Research Education and Training (RET) office and embeds career development activities and professional networking opportunities to enhance the training experience.

• Learning objectives

  Emphasis is placed on the importance of basic principles that form the foundation for scientific investigation, which are unique to the field of oncology. Students will learn to formulate scientific research questions and how fundamental questions in laboratory research are translated to address clinical challenges in oncology. The specific learning objectives are:

  • Learn and practice lab safety procedures.
  • Learn and understand the Responsible Conduct of Research principles and application
  • Develop skills in accurate and reproducible data collection.
  • Learn techniques for data analysis
  • Develop skills in critical reading and analysis of research reports and manuscripts.
  • Learn and practice effective oral and written presentation of scientific data.
• Structure
  • Gain wet and/or dry laboratory research experience under the mentorship of Moffitt faculty
  • Interact with Moffitt faculty, postdoctoral fellows and graduate students
  • Participate in lab meetings and seminars presented by world-renowned Moffitt researchers
  • Attend additional institutional lectures, departmental conferences and career development sessions
  • Present their research projects to program peers and Moffitt faculty
• Eligibility
  • Actively enrolled in a U.S. high school or an accredited homeschool program
  • In good academic standing at their school
  • Permission from parents if under 18 years of age
  • Interested in the cancer research field and/or related biomedical sciences and demonstrate an interest and aptitude for scientific investigation
  • Agree to and meet all Moffitt required screenings for participation with the Moffitt Cancer Center
  • Participants must comply with all institutional policies regarding conduct, academic honesty and lawful behavior
• Selection and recruitment process

  It is the student's responsibility to identify a research faculty mentor who is willing to train them in their lab prior to onboarding.

  Search the Research section to learn more about the faculty and their research. Interested students should email potential faculty mentors directly to ask about opportunities in their lab.

• Timing and duration limits
  • The MARCH program has rolling admissions throughout the year.
  • Applicants selected must commit to a minimum of eight weeks. The hourly commitment will be determined between the student/parent/mentor and fall within all applicable local, state and federal laws.
  • Program participants may request extensions as long as they are enrolled in high school.

For more information, contact ret@moffitt.org.