The Training in Education and Critical Research Skills (TEACRS) Program serves the national need for university and college faculty trained in biomedical research who are optimally prepared to meet the multiple challenges faced by young Assistant Professors pursuing their first independent position and who understand the value of diversity in the scientific workforce. These individuals must to be fully prepared to meet the demands of setting up and managing a productive research lab, obtaining grant funding, developing and delivering exciting and effective courses and participating in the vibrant life of a institution of higher learning. They need to be able to inspire the next generations of scientists through the teaching and research opportunities they offer. Our goal is to provide talented and qualified postdoctoral scholars with the research portfolio and career skills they will need to succeed in an academic research environment that includes training and mentoring of future biomedical researchers. To achieve this goal, we have partnered with three local minority-serving institutions, the University of Massachusetts, Boston, Pine Manor College and Bunker Hill Community College. Tufts will provide these scholars with rigorous bench research training leading to the development of an independent research program as evidenced by peer-reviewed publications and also provide instruction and activities that build career skills in teaching, written and oral communication, grant writing, ethical conduct of research, laboratory management and mentoring. By working with our partners, we will offer these trainees direct, in-classroom teaching experience with a diverse student body in a mentored setting. TEACRS will also enhance the capacity of our partner institutions to deliver exciting science curriculum and increase accessibility of faculty and students at these institutions to biomedical research. We plan to gradually expand to admitting four trainees each year who will receive receiving 75% support from this grant and 25% support from their research mentor for a maximum of four years.
The Training in Education and Critical Research Skills Program at Tufts specifically addresses the need for talented biomedical scientists who will excel as researchers, teachers, and mentors in an academic setting and the need to enhance the diversity of the biomedical workforce. To accomplish this goal, we will provide postdoctoral trainees with rigorous hands-on training in biomedical research, and prepare them to handle the challenges of teaching and mentoring a diverse student body by partnering with local undergraduate institutions committed to serving under-represented students.
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