Graduate Student Research Support Award: funding for the next step in my research
I received $1,398 in research support for advanced methods training to strengthen my master's thesis on prostate cancer survivorship.
I’m excited to share that I have been awarded a Graduate Student Research Support Award from the Texas Tech University Graduate School! The $1,398 award fully funds the research-methods training I proposed to support my master’s thesis.
The award recognizes competitive applications within their respective fields. I’m grateful for this support and the opportunity to keep building the skills that will move my research forward.
What this funding makes possible
The funding will support two specialized Centerstat workshops: Machine Learning for Prediction and Multilevel Models for Longitudinal Data. Together, they will strengthen my ability to study change over time and build carefully validated predictive models.
I will apply this training directly to my thesis, which examines how pain interference, cultural beliefs, and psychological adjustment intersect among Spanish-speaking Hispanic/Latino men living with prostate cancer. Pain interference refers to the ways pain disrupts everyday activities. My research asks how changes in that burden relate to anxiety and depression, and how beliefs about masculinity and personal control over health may shape those relationships.
An exploratory part of the project will also examine whether including cultural measures improves predictions of subsequent psychological symptoms.
Looking ahead
This support is an investment in the methods behind the work and in my broader goal of advancing culturally responsive cancer survivorship research. I look forward to putting the training into practice and sharing what I learn as the project develops.