Winn Clinical Investigator Pathway Program Launches Fifth Cohort to Diversify the Clinical Trial Workforce
核心洞察
The Robert A. Winn Clinical Investigator Pathway Program (Winn CIPP) launched its fifth cohort with 80 medical students training at 18 research institutions across the country.
The initiative, established by the Bristol Myers Squibb Foundation (搜索) in 2020, is funded by Gilead Sciences, Amgen, Genentech, and AstraZeneca alongside the foundation.
Participants complete a six-week summer externship focused on community-engaged research, mentorship, and clinical trial design to improve representation in clinical trials.
A national coalition of pharmaceutical companies, nonprofit organizations, academic institutions, and clinical research leaders has launched the fifth cohort of the Robert A. Winn Clinical Investigator Pathway Program (Winn CIPP), an initiative designed to train a new generation of physicians to improve representation in clinical trials and ensure all communities have access to the latest advances in medicine.
Eighty medical students from across the country participated in the fifth annual cohort of the Winn Awards' signature program at 18 top research institutions. The Winn Awards is a national initiative focused on preparing physicians and researchers to design and conduct clinical trials with a strong emphasis on community engagement, trust-building, and improving participation in research.
A Cross-Sector Coalition
Established by the Bristol Myers Squibb Foundation (搜索) (BMS Foundation), an independent charitable organization, in 2020, the Winn Awards are supported by a growing coalition of funding partners and collaborators committed to strengthening the future clinical research workforce. Funders supporting the 2026 Winn CIPP cohort include the Bristol Myers Squibb Foundation, Gilead Sciences, Amgen, Genentech, and AstraZeneca.
"Clinical trials shape the future of medicine, but the future of medicine depends on building a clinical research workforce prepared to engage all communities," said Dr. Robert A. Winn, newly appointed Vice President and Director of Fox Chase Cancer Center and namesake of the program. "The Winn Awards exists because leaders across sectors recognize that improving participation in clinical trials is not the responsibility of any one organization alone. It requires partnership, collaboration, and investment in people."
Program Structure and Training
Students selected for Winn CIPP participate in a six-week summer externship that introduces them to clinical research early in their careers through service-learning experiences, mentorship, and educational programming focused on community-engaged research and clinical trial design. The program teaches medical students about the importance of offering clinical trials, exposes them to community-centered research, and helps them understand the pathways to becoming a physician-scientist who works on clinical trials.
Since its launch, the Winn CIPP has experienced rapid national growth, drawing hundreds of applicants annually from medical schools across the country.
Industry Perspectives
"At the Bristol Myers Squibb Foundation (搜索), our work is grounded in expanding access to care and investing in the people and systems that make better health possible," said Catharine Grimes, president of the Bristol Myers Squibb Foundation. "What we are seeing across these cohorts is a powerful pipeline of future leaders committed to more inclusive, community-centered research - and that progress will shape the future of clinical trials."
"Advancing clinical research requires collaboration across sectors and sustained investment in future leaders," said Ponda Motsepe-Ditshego, vice president, Inclusive Global Health and Impact, Amgen. "The Winn Awards is helping build a pipeline of physicians and researchers prepared to strengthen connections between research and the communities it serves."
"Genentech is honored to support initiatives that expand opportunities for future clinical researchers and address barriers preventing many communities from accessing the latest medical breakthroughs," said Joy Russell, Vice President, US External Affairs, Genentech.
"AstraZeneca is dedicated to ensuring our clinical research includes people from a wide range of backgrounds, communities, and patient populations, so the findings better reflect the people these medicines are meant to help," said Roula Qaqish, Vice President, Head of Medical Affairs, US Oncology, AstraZeneca. "Programs like the Winn CIPP are helping prepare future leaders to advance research that can improve outcomes for all patients."
Annual Symposium
As the program drew to a close, participants and partnering organizations came together from across the nation for the Winn CIPP Symposium, the program's annual culminating event where students had the opportunity to connect with one another and learn from clinical research leaders. The symposium was held at Roosevelt University in Chicago, Illinois from July 9-11 this year.
The Winn Awards continues to grow as a national platform for collaboration among industry, academia, healthcare institutions, and nonprofit organizations united by a shared belief: better science requires broader participation, stronger community partnerships, and intentional investment in the future clinical research workforce.