CTSA Predoctoral T32 at Johns Hopkins

Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore MD

Investigators

Abstract

The mission of the Johns Hopkins University (JHU) Institute for Clinical and Translational Research (ICTR) Predoctoral Clinical Research Training Program (T32) is to provide an integrated set of training opportunities focused on the core principles of translational science. We will build on our success of training more than 150 predoctoral students to date by focusing the training experience on (1) specific skills for competency in research (2) individual mentored project development and (3) communication of research results to nonscientist audiences. A core program goal is to promote multidisciplinary research collaborations in translational science. We have a track record of training scholars who are enrolled in a variety of doctoral programs including medicine, nursing, public health. We will continue to advance this goal by fostering collaboration across scientific disciplines. Our history of successful recruitment and selection of trainees from multiple participating institutions allows us to build on our efforts to enroll trainees from across disciplines. We will use existing strategies to recruit trainees in medicine, nursing, dentistry, and public health with a variety of scientific interests and perspectives in translational science. We (1) Teach core principles in clinical and translational research, ensuring trainees have the knowledge and skills to succeed in their scientific pursuits and build an identity as translational researchers; (2) Provide a supportive and collaborative culture for trainees; (3) Create a community of clinical and translational science trainees, building networks and collaborations among trainees (and mentors), driving innovation; and (4) Encourage the development of team science skills. Trainees will recognize the importance of working collaboratively, an increasingly critical research skill. Our integrated program offers a multidisciplinary mentoring team, didactic training, competency-based interactive workshops, core ICTR resources, peer-support and resource-sharing designed to stimulate lifelong engagement in a clinical and translational research career. The program offers trainees intensive and hand-on learning experiences that prepare them to be exemplary clinical and translational scientists in any discipline, specialty or subspecialty. Our multidisciplinary pool of trainees will emerge equipped with the knowledge, skills, and abilities to advance diagnostics, therapeutics, clinical interventions, and behavioral modifications to improve health as they develop into independent researchers. We will perform continuous program evaluation with multiple metrics. We evaluate the program itself (faculty, courses, seminars) and track enrollment, retention, and the range of scientific disciplines of trainees; and conduct course and mentoring evaluations. Like the consortium of CTSA academic medical institutions across the country, we will report on trainee performance and satisfaction, and mentor satisfaction. We will also measure, evaluate, and disseminate the impact of translational research from our program. The JHU ICTR T32 will support 10 predoctoral trainees per year for a minimum of 12 months.