October 07, 2026
The University of Kansas Cancer Center has received a $2.1 million, five-year grant from the National Cancer Institute (NCI) to expand cancer education, research experiences and career development opportunities for students and teachers across Kansas and western Missouri.
Led by Lisa Harlan-Williams, PhD, associate director for education at the cancer center, and Simon Craddock Lee, PhD, MPH, associate director for cancer workforce initiatives, the effort aims to help build a cancer workforce that meets future demand.
The new NCI funding will allow the cancer center to expand programs that introduce students to careers in cancer research and care, provide hands-on research experiences and equip high school teachers with resources to bring cancer science into their classrooms. A particular focus will be extending these opportunities to rural communities, where students and educators may have fewer opportunities to connect with cancer researchers and explore careers in the field.
“By reaching students early, giving them meaningful experiences and connecting them with mentors, we can help students see themselves pursuing careers that may not have known existed,” Dr. Harlan-Williams said.
Expanding efforts
As the U.S. population ages and the number of people diagnosed with or living after cancer grows, developing the next generation of the oncology workforce is increasingly important. That workforce extends well beyond physicians and includes scientists, nurses, laboratory professionals, data scientists and many others involved in cancer research and care.
The cancer center is already working to address that need by engaging students early and providing opportunities to explore careers in cancer research and care. High schoolers participate in mentored research experiences, while teachers gain cancer-focused curriculum, professional development and firsthand exposure to cancer research.
The new NCI funding allows the cancer center to build on these efforts, reaching more students and educators, expanding research and training opportunities and extending programs to more rural communities.
“Local school partners will help us host Family Night events for parents, friends and neighbors during which teachers and cancer center faculty will support ‘teach-back’ presentations by participating students,” Dr. Lee said. “Students will not only learn science communication skills but also become active participants in community education about cancer prevention and early detection in rural counties.”
Early support
The NCI award builds on work supported by the Lida L. Moffett Foundation since 2023. That early investment helped the cancer center strengthen programs such as Accelerate Cancer Education (ACE), expand teacher workshops, test new approaches and extend programming to more people.
For the Lida L. Moffett Foundation, the support reflects the values of its namesake, who was known for her kindness and generosity. According to a representative from the Foundation, “Lida was not so much guided by a vision for the future, but by an ethic of how to live in the everyday world. She was joyful, kind, grateful, spontaneous, mindful of the needs of others and generous with herself throughout her life. By way of the Lida L. Moffett Foundation, Lida’s values are continued and fostered through her generosity of wealth.”
With early philanthropic support, the team was able to develop, test and strengthen its approach. The NCI grant represents the next stage of that growth, allowing the work to reach more students, teachers and communities.
“The Lida Moffett Foundation helped us build the foundation for so much of what we are doing today,” Dr. Harlan-Williams said. “Their support allowed us to grow ACE, teacher workshops and more. With the R25, now we can expand cancer education, research experiences and teacher training to places where access was previously limited."