Ruth L. Kirschstein NRSA Short-Term Institutional Research Training Grant (T35)

Portland Va Research Foundation, Inc., Portland OR

Investigators

Linked publications & trials

Abstract

Project Summary This is a renewal proposal requesting an additional five years of T35 funding to support a three-month summer training program at the National Center for Rehabilitative Auditory Research (NCRAR) for students enrolled in a Doctor of Audiology (Au.D.) clinical degree program. We request funding to cover four students annually for the duration of the grant. Dawn Konrad-Martin, Ph.D. will be the Program Director. She will be assisted by the NCRAR Education and Outreach Manager and an Advisory Committee. The long-term objective of our program is to increase the number of individuals with a clinical Au.D. who go on to pursue a Ph.D. and a career in auditory research. The NCRAR is a VA-funded research center consisting of 16 Ph.D. investigators, all of whom will serve as T-35 faculty. NCRAR is unique among auditory research facilities because of its focus on diagnosis, rehabilitation and prevention of auditory and balance disorders through translational and applied human studies, many of which use clinical methodologies to obtain data. It thus has particular appeal and application to the clinical Au.D. students for whom the program is designed. During the summer, each student works with their mentor to design and conduct a research project, while also working in their mentor's laboratory, attending courses held by NCRAR faculty and guests, participating in NCRAR journal groups, meetings and seminars, holding discussions with each NCRAR Investigator, and visiting other local research facilities. Finally, students are required to present their mentored research project to members of the NCRAR, and at the American Auditory Society annual meeting. They are also encouraged to work with their mentor to publish the findings of this project. All students enrolled in an accredited Au.D. program are eligible to participate. The program is publicized via email and phone calls to Au.D. Department Chairs and student advisors, on the NCRAR website, and at audiology conferences. To apply, students must send a statement of interest describing what they hope to gain from the traineeship, a curriculum vitae, at least two letters of recommendation and an applicant evaluation form completed by their Au.D. program advisor. Applications are evaluated by the NCRAR faculty using their personal statement, letters of recommendation, the applicant evaluation form and undergraduate GPA as metrics. Since 2007, 56 trainees have matriculated through NCRAR's T35 program. Six are research audiologists, 3 are currently enrolled in Ph.D. programs, 1 is a postdoctoral research fellow, and 7 are university professors or instructors. These data, combined with highly positive evaluations from participating students and the NCRAR faculty demonstrate that our program successfully accomplishes the goals of the NIH T35 training program `to encourage Au.D. students to develop research career trajectories through pursuing sustained programs of research training and career development in order to advance the state of-the art in hearing health care services'.