Excited Winn CIPP students head to Spokane, Washington, with the Fred Hutch team. As part of their summer experience at Fred Hutch, these future physician-investigators are traveling to shadow providers at a rural clinic and gain firsthand insight into healthcare delivery and research in rural communities.
The Robert A. Winn Clinical Investigator Pathway Program (Winn CIPP) has officially launched its fifth annual cohort, welcoming 80 medical students from across the United States and Puerto Rico for an immersive summer experience focused on clinical research, community engagement, and improving participation in clinical trials.
Through the six-week program, students are placed at leading clinical research institutions nationwide, where they gain hands-on exposure to clinical trial operations, patient engagement, and community-centered research approaches designed to help close persistent gaps in clinical trial participation.
The program recently began with a virtual kickoff and program-wide learning day that brought together students, faculty, funders, mentors, and national leaders in clinical research to discuss the history, impact, and future of clinical trials.
Winn CIPP is part of the Robert A. Winn Excellence in Clinical Trials Award Program (Winn Awards), a national initiative focused on developing physician-investigators equipped to engage communities and design more effective, community-engaged clinical trials. The program is implemented under the direction of Dr. Robert A. Winn, who was recently appointed as vice president and cancer center director for Fox Chase Cancer Center.
Established in 2020 by the Bristol Myers Squibb Foundation (BMS Foundation), an independent charitable organization, the Winn Awards are supported by a growing coalition of funding partners and collaborators committed to strengthening the future clinical research workforce and improving participation in clinical trials. Funders supporting the 2026 Winn CIPP cohort include the Bristol Myers Squibb Foundation, Gilead Sciences, Amgen, Genentech, and AstraZeneca.
“The future of medicine depends on physicians who understand not only the science of clinical research, but also the importance of building trust, engaging communities, and ensuring patients have access to clinical trials,” said Dr. Robert A. Winn, newly appointed Vice President and Director of Fox Chase Cancer Center and namesake of the program. “Winn CIPP gives students early exposure to these principles at a formative point in their careers.”
Designed for first- through third-year medical students, Winn CIPP combines hands-on research experiences with structured educational programming, mentorship, and professional development. Students are paired with mentorship teams and immersed in clinical research environments where they learn about clinical trial design, informed consent, patient engagement, recruitment strategies, community outreach, and the social and structural factors that influence participation in research.
Throughout the summer, students will develop and present research findings through abstracts, scientific posters, and oral presentations while participating in educational sessions and networking opportunities with peers and leaders in the field. The experience culminates in a national symposium where students present their work and participate in advanced learning sessions focused on clinical research and career pathways.
The program also emphasizes mentorship and community engagement. Participants are paired with both Winn Career Development Award (Winn CDA) scholars and Winn CIPP alumni, helping students build professional networks while gaining insight into careers in clinical research and medicine.
Students in Cohort 5 are completing placements at nationally recognized research and medical institutions across the country, including:
- Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
- City of Hope
- Emory University at Grady Campus
- Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center
- Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
- LSU Health Sciences Center
- Mays Cancer Center at UT Health San Antonio
- NYU Langone Health
- Rush University Medical Center
- St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital
- UCLA Clinical and Translational Science Institute (CTSI) at the Lundquist Institute
- UCLA CTSI at Westwood
- University of Arizona Cancer Center
- University of Illinois Cancer Center
- University of Louisville
- VCU Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center
- Wake Forest University Health Sciences
- Weill Cornell Medicine
These institutions provide students with opportunities to engage directly with clinical investigators, research staff, patients, and communities while gaining firsthand exposure to the realities of conducting clinical research in diverse settings.
“Our mentor site partnerships are essential to creating the immersive, hands-on experiences that define Winn CIPP,” said Joy L. Jones, PhD, Executive Director of the Winn CIPP program. “These institutions give students the opportunity to engage directly with clinical research teams, patients, and communities while developing a deeper understanding of community-oriented clinical research and the importance of improving participation in clinical trials.”
The Winn Awards program continues to experience rapid national growth. To date, the Winn CIPP has funded more than 321 medical students across 24 mentor site institutions nationwide, helping build a national network of future physicians and investigators committed to advancing Better Science For All.
About the Robert A. Winn Excellence in Clinical Trials Award Program
Winn Awards program
The Robert A. Winn Excellence in Clinical Trials Award Program (Winn Awards) is transforming the future of clinical research. Through rigorous training, mentorship, and hands-on experience, we empower researchers with the skills and expertise to engage a broader range of patients — ensuring that the communities enrolled in trials reflect the populations affected by disease. By bridging this gap, we help advance treatments that are safer and more effective for all.
Visit www.winnawards.org for more information.
The Winn Clinical Investigator Pathway Program (CIPP)
The Winn Clinical Investigator Pathway Program is an immersive 6-week summer experience that introduces medical students to clinical research early in their training, instilling a research and community-oriented perspective that guides them throughout their careers. This foundation ensures that when they embark on their own research or patient care, clinical trials remain a key consideration.
Visit www.winnawards.org for more information.
