The training grant titled Clinical Research and Epidemiology in Diabetes and Endocrinology at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine is applying for its first competitive renewal, having completed 3.5 years of funding. The goal of the training program is to provide a new generation of clinical investigators, trained with the tools of clinical research and epidemiology, ready to pursue productive, successful careers diabetes and endocrinology research. To accomplish this goal, the program brings together two strong divisions: the Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism (Department of Medicine) and the Welch Center for Prevention, Epidemiology and Clinical Research. (Department of Medicine and School of Public Health). Fifteen mentors have been chosen from these diverse groups and from the Center on Human Nutrition, School of Public Health. The mentors are selected on the basis of their recognized expertise, research productivity and demonstrated mentoring skills. Three pre-doctoral students and two post-doctoral fellows are selected from a large number of qualified applicants. They have didactic course work, pre-docs enrolled in the doctoral program and most post-doc fellows joining the Graduate Training Program in Clinical Investigation (GTPCI). In each case, trainees are matched with mentors for intensive research mentoring. The research environment at Johns Hopkins is considered outstanding, with a series of conferences, research data bases, a GCRC, and above all an excellent faculty. In the first years of the training grant, we have demonstrated that we have the pool of outstanding candidates, that the post-docs successfully enrolled in the GTPCI, and that a cohesive training program was implemented. Our mentees have been productive in their time on the training grant, and we believe they will go on to productive careers. The faculty, including the younger mentors, has progressed academically, and remained largely stable. Several new mentors are added, replacing mentors who have risen to high level administrative positions. We feel that we have the pool of applicants and the program in place to justify an addition of one more post-doctoral fellow, to a total of three pre-docs and three post-docs. In sum, we have brought together two often separated but extremely complementary and extremely important disciplines. We have brought these disciplines to our first generation of trainees. We believe that we have had a very successful start in this unique program, and are ready to continue it at a slightly higher number of trainees.
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