Clinical and Translational Science Collaborative of Northern Ohio, CTSA Postdoctoral T32 at Case Western Reserve University

Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland OH

Investigators

Abstract

Clinical/Translational (C/T) scientists who conceptualize health problems in new ways and utilize skills that both enhance interdisciplinary work in clinical and community settings and catalyze translational processes are vital to address the nation’s unmet health needs and support fair access to quality care for all populations. Building upon the successes of our existing C/T training programs for predoctoral students, post-doctorates, and junior faculty, and in collaboration with the Workforce Development and Community & Stakeholder Engagement Modules of our Clinical & Translational Science Collaborative, our Clinical and Translational Scientist Training Program for Post-doctorates (CTSTP-Post) will enable a cadre of postdoctoral trainees with varied academic experiences to both deepen their scientific domain expertise and develop knowledge, perspective, and skills necessary to function efficiently and effectively as C/T scientists facing the opportunities and challenges of medicine and health in the 21st century. We will also broaden trainee recruitment by engaging candidates from a wide range of academic institutions and professional backgrounds and fostering a collaborative research environment that supports scientific exchange and mentorship. Strategic partnerships with a range of academic institutions, including those with limited prior involvement in clinical and translational research, will help expand participation in our training program and ultimately strengthen the pipeline of talent entering the C/T science workforce. Through this program, twelve trainees will each complete a two-year appointment. Using a strategic combination of training activities – e.g., mentoring by a successful, experienced C/T scientist, coursework, observerships and other field experiences, workshops, symposiums, seminars/discussions – trainees will acquire deeper understanding of and sharpen their skills in translational processes, interdisciplinary research, team science, communication, systems science and complexity, community and stakeholder engagement, innovation, entrepreneurship and commercialization, dissemination and implementation science, information science and artificial intelligence, differences in health outcomes, professional and leadership development, responsible conduct of research, and methods for enhancing reproducibility. Our program will interact with the proposed CTSTP for Predoctoral Students and K12 Program for Junior Faculty, creating a rich culture of learning and exchange, where perspectives of different disciplines are represented and where trainees share ideas, challenge each other, and grow together. Although each program will be distinct and will have its own Internal Advisory (Steering) Committee and unique components, oversight of all three programs by a single Research Education Advisory Board, a shared mentor pool, strategically selected joint activities, and standardized evaluation approaches and tools will create synergies in training, leadership, and management across programs and assure attainment of program objectives.