There is a great need for researchers in communication disorders trained in language impairments in children. The proposed competing continuation would continue to provide predoctoral crossdisciplinary research training as preparation for research and teaching careers addressing language impairments in children from a life-span orientation. Trainees will also be prepared in fundamental neurosciences to prepare them for future collaborations with neuroscientists. These areas of expertise appear in academic departments of communication disorders, cognitive neuroscience, linguistics, human development, psychology, geriatrics, and cognitive science. Three predoctoral trainees are requested. It is expected that the trainees will be drawn primarily from students and practitioners in communication disorders, linguistics, psychology, or human development. Core training faculty include six experienced, productive researchers who direct active research laboratories. Associated faculty will be drawn from a large pool of research faculty with related interests and a track record of collaborative endeavors with the core faculty. Trainees will enroll in a cross-disciplinary curriculum of academic offerings in content courses, research methods and design, and responsible conduct of research. Each trainee will participate in primary and secondary level research experiences. The primary research participation will be a multiyear apprenticeship that takes place in a laboratory headed by one of the core faculty. A secondary, short-term research experience will be carried out under the direction of a second faculty member. Faculty and peer mentoring will be recognized as important dimensions of the research training experience. A peer mentoring group will be established, and serve as a source of feedback to the faculty. The climate for scholarship includes a wide variety of scholarly activities, including participation with trainees in related training grants, access to visiting scholars, and participation in the ongoing series of seminars and workshops sponsored by the Merrill Advanced Studies Center and the Institute for Life Span Studies. Preparation of research posters, talks, scientific papers and an F31 proposal is expected. Recruitment of Native American trainees will build on our current success and institutional affiliations with that target group. An External Advisory Panel will provide guidance.
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