What is SPRINT?

Discover how this program will expedite the translation of your intervention into practice.

You can view the informational webinar that took place on December 12, 2018: SPRINT Information Webinar

Dates

Pre-Webinar April 11, 2019, 2-3:00PM ET: 
On-Boarding Webinar May 2, 2019, 2-3:00PM ET
Opening Workshop: May 6-8, 2019
On-line Sessions: 2-5PM ET on Thursdays, May 16, 23, 30,
​June 6, 13, 20
Closing Workshop: June 27-28, 2019

SPRINT Training

Reducing the burden of cancer will require creativity, innovation, and faster translation of scientific knowledge into practical applications. SPRINT is a new training program that leverages the experience and structure of the NSF I-Corps™ program, but is customized specifically for cancer prevention and control interventions.  
​
​With this program, the National Cancer Institute aims to build a cadre of behavioral scientists that are interested in, and capable of, moving interventions into practice more rapidly.
Course Structure
​Selected teams will participate in an 8-week training program, which consists of a three-day in-person meeting that officially kicks off the course (May 6-8, 2019 in Rockville, MD), weekly online meetings (every Thursday between May 13 and June 21, 2019), and a two-day in-person closeout meeting on June 27-28, 2019 (also in Rockville, MD). There will also be two introductory webinars before the kick-off meeting to help orient participants to the course.  

SPRINT Teams

Who is eligible:

NCI-funded investigators with either a currently active R01 grant (that is at least in year 2) or an R01 that was completed after January 1, 2014 are eligible to apply. The focus of the R01 grant must be on the design, testing, delivery and/or implementation of an intervention or tool to advance cancer prevention and control.

What Teams Get:
  • 8 weeks of training on adapting and translating interventions into real-world settings
  • Individualized guidance and mentorship to hone their idea and perfect their pitch
  • The opportunity to refine their intervention idea and receive feedback on how to move forward with dissemination or commercialization
  • Networking opportunities
  • An award of $21,750 to cover team travel to in-person training sessions and any expenses incurred during the “discovery” phase of the training. Note: recovery of indirect costs shall be limited to $6,750.

What makes a team:
  • Teams can be made up of two to four members.
  • Each team must have a Principal Investigator (PI), who is the primary researcher or inventor behind the behavioral intervention.
  • Teams must also have an Entrepreneurial Lead (EL). The EL is often a graduate student or post-doc who is highly committed to the project.
  • Both the PI and EL will be expected to conduct customer discovery interviews and to participate in all in-person and virtual meetings. They should think of this as a “half-time” job during the two months of the program.
  • Teams can also include one additional Co-investigator (optional).
  • While not required for program participation, teams are strongly encouraged to include a Mentor (M) on their team. A Mentor should be an experienced entrepreneur or business executive.
  • At least one member of the team must be willing to commit 20% of their time to the training program, at a minimum.
 
What Teams Do:
  • Come to Rockville, MD for in-person meetings at the beginning and end of the program.
  • Participate in weekly online workshops.
  • Meet with a minimum of 40 potential customers/stakeholders. Note: there is a significant time commitment required for interviews and face-to-face engagement is strongly encouraged.
  • Present weekly updates on their project, actively engage during the webinars, and prepare a short video for the close-out meeting on how their intervention/concept has evolved during the training.