TRAINING CORE

Charles R. Drew University Of Med & Sci, Los Angeles CA

Investigators

Linked publications, trials & patents

Abstract

This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. Primary support for the subproject and the subproject's principal investigator may have been provided by other sources, including other NIH sources. The Total Cost listed for the subproject likely represents the estimated amount of Center infrastructure utilized by the subproject, not direct funding provided by the NCRR grant to the subproject or subproject staff. SPECIFIC AIMS AXIS proposes to develop a Multidisciplinary Training and Career Development Function (Training Function) that will build on the University's demonstrated research capacity and improve existing infrastructure. The Training Function will streamline and centralize clinical and translational research training and related faculty development activities across the University. The function will enable promising CDU faculty from a variety of disciplines to access appropriate education, training, and career development resources at every stage of the translational research process. Within the AXIS philosophy, the function seeks to build a research education system that will nurture, train, and develop junior-level investigators into future leaders in clinical and translational research. To achieve this goal, we will establish the CDU Program for Research Investigator Development and Education (CDU PRIDE) Office. CDU PRIDE will serve as the University's "college of research training," integrating and implementing research training and mentoring activities. The CDU PRIDE Office will facilitate access to classes and lectures, coordinate schedules, and promote research training resources. Faculty members (primarily junior faculty but occasionally senior faculty exploring new research areas) and postdoctoral fellows require intensive didactic training, mentoring, and exposure to fundamental research principles to excel in clinical and translational research. The proposed Training Function will be open to postdoctoral fellows and all junior faculty (especially minority faculty members who are historically underrepresented in medical research), providing them meaningful training that will aid their development into R01-level researchers. Technology will be an important part of this function, as trainings will have both physical and virtual formats through which participants will be able to register for classes and access course content. Participants who visit the Concierge Desk will be directed to resources in the CDU PRIDE Office. The resources made available through this function will expose CDU researchers and the community at-large to clinical and translational research paradigms and stimulate novel discovery and collaboration. The CDU PRIDE Office will leverage training resources with the help of partnerships with community-based organizations, the new CDU community track faculty, and educational institutions. These partnerships will be managed by the Collaborations and Partnerships Function. The Concierge Desk also will assist with scheduling and organizational tasks, acquisition and dissemination of resources, and career-training guidance. These partnerships will greatly expand CDU's ability to facilitate mentored clinical and translational research training and provide career development activities in clinical and translational science. This spectrum of support will cross all disciplines and both CDU colleges (College of Medicine and College of Science and Health) and will provide access to research training in novel areas using novel methodologies and technologies. This training component will give researchers greater skills and experience to work effectively with underserved minority populations. Additional community-involvement training with an emphasis on health disparities will provide investigators with essential expertise and experience in the clinical and translational research environment. The goal of the Training Function is to advance research careers and support clinical and translational research through training, mentoring, and development programs that transcend traditional academic boundaries, engage the community, and facilitate high-quality research. This goal is supported through three specific aims: Specific Aim 1: Implement a formalized mentorship program, whereby junior research investigators engaged in clinical and translational research are counseled, motivated, and coached through their career development process. Specific Aim 2: Promote higher-quality scientific projects and proposals through the implementation of a peerbased scientific review process. Specific Aim 3: Meet individual junior faculty research development needs in the setting of team science through coordinating access to an innovative and individualized, highly focused training and educational program in clinical and translational research. These aims will promote the inculcation of clinical and translational research/team science into the fabric of the institutional paradigm, enable traditional and community faculty from multiple disciplines to become leaders in the field of clinical and translational science, and facilitate the ability of junior faculty to both participate in and lead multi- and interdisciplinary collaborative research projects.