To continually improve the quality of clinical and translational science education and career development, this renewal application (R13 RR025929) seeks three years of funding (2012-2014) to support the national annual conference for trainees and educators engaged in clinical and translational science. This meeting is held in Washington, DC in April of each year. The Association for Clinical Research Training (ACRT) plans the meeting in collaboration with the Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA) consortium, Society for Clinical and Translational Science (SCTS), American Federation for Medical Research (AFMR), and Association for Patient Oriented Research (APOR). The ACRT contributes to meeting planning as a strong advocate for research education, training, and career development. The five integrated conference objectives (Aims) are to: 1. Provide a national forum to support advancement of clinical and translational research training. 2. Promote training in effective team building and performance to conduct clinical and translational science. We plan to utilize resources from the CTSA consortium, National Institutes of Health, Academic Health Centers and industry to integrate team science into the planned meeting sessions. 3. Identify and disseminate best practices for clinical and translational science training through the entire CTSA Consortium and the larger community of research educators. 4. For Trainees and Scholars: Provide an annual forum for a diverse array of trainees, including the CTSA KL2, K30, Postdoctoral T32, and other NIH K12, and Minority Scholar Programs. Trainees present their research findings to peers, obtain feedback from scientists, and participate in networking sessions to obtain guidance on public policy, career development programs and support mechanisms. 5. For Research Educators: Provide an annual forum for directors, staff, and trainees to network and share research findings focused on educational practices that continually improve the processes of clinical and translational science career development. Educational research and evaluation leaders present interactive sessions that move the disciplines of scientific career development forward. This R13 application focuses on support for meeting costs directed toward trainees and scholars. We will build on the solid relationships established in the prior grant cycle, evaluate and continually improve the meeting's structure and organization, and innovate by integrating team science concepts, methods, and content into the conference offerings. Our highly effective, sustainable, collaborative conference model will facilitate training and career development for future generations of clinical and translational scientists.
In order to effectively apply the burgeoning knowledge produced by biomedical science to health improvement, there is a critical need to educate, train, and develop clinical and translational scientists. This application from the Association for Clinical Research Training seeks 3-years of support for an annual national conference (2012, 2013, 2014) that: (a) provides a forum to support clinical and translational science advancement, (b) promotes training in effective scientific team building and performance, (c) identifies and disseminates best practices in research education, (d) supports trainees in presenting their scientific work, and (e) improves research education evaluation. The meeting's planners will build on solid organizational relationships, continually improve the meeting's structure and organization, and innovate by integrating team science concepts, methods, and content into the conference offerings. Inclusion of team science will help prepare the next generations of biomedical investigators to generate new cures and improve health care delivery for the United States population.
