The overall goal of the K30: Clinical Research Curriculum Award at WeilI-Cornell Medical College is to train patient oriented researchers to conceive, design and conduct independent clinical research in a well-structured cross-disciplinary team environment. The primary objective is to provide the fundamental skills of clinical research and an understanding of the complex issues associated with conducting such research. For this new program, a joint-teaching endeavor has been forged between Weill Medical College, the Weill Graduate School of Medical Sciences, and the Graduate School at the Cornell University Ithaca Campus. Our proposed curriculum is based on a strong infrastructure of existing courses, seminars and skill-acquisition workshops within the medical college and graduate schools. New courses and restructured courses to achieve the goals of this proposal have been added. Teaching tools will include computer-based learning, and interactive video-conferencing, currently effectively in use at the medical school for combined educational programs with the Cornell Ithaca campus. The Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences, located on the Medical School campus, will be the degree granting institution. The curriculum offers two tracks that are designed for rigorous training in clinical investigation. Track I: a core curriculum providing the basic skills of clinical investigation, leading to a Certificate in Clinical Investigation. It includes training in: 1) the development of research hypotheses and methods of hypothesis testing; 2) grant writing and manuscript preparation; 3) data collection, construction of databases and data management systems; 4) computer programs for data analysis; 5) statistical analysis and the appropriate use of various statistical techniques in clinical research; 6) basic epidemiologic principles in clinical research; 7) ethics and human subjects protection in the conduct of patient-oriented research; 8) regulatory requirements of clinical research; preparing protocols for the Human Rights Committee and other agencies; 9) grants management and intellectual property; and 10) general and specific state-of-the-art research tools and techniques. Track II: leading to a Masters in Clinical Investigation, includes 1) a core curriculum (Track1); 2) additional electives in the trainee's area of interest; and 3) a clinical research project mentored by a clinical investigator in its design and implementation and conducted in the Clinical Research Center. To encourage trainees to continue their pursuit of a clinical research career at Weill Medical College, the Dean will offer bridge funding, provided by the Dean's Clinical Scholar's Program for Faculty in Clinical Research, for three to five years to trainees who have commendably completed the Masters Degree. To date, $50 million has been raised for the support of clinical investigators for full-time or part-time protected research activities for three to five years. He will also provide stipends ($55,000 per trainee) for 2-3 qualified candidates in need of funding.
