The overall goal of the Career Enhancement Core is to provide a broad range of research-related activities that will build and improve research expertise in Tobacco Regulatory Science (TRS). The focus is on supporting project teams, raising awareness of Tobacco Regulatory Science at the University of Rochester and Roswell Park Cancer Institute, growing the number of TRS researchers, and engaging with investigators at other Tobacco Centers of Regulatory Science. We will use traditional and innovative approaches to address the following aims: 1) Create competency-based approaches and case studies for TRS career enhancement; 2) Provide collaborative pilot projects and other supervised TRS research experiences; 3) Provide flexible career enhancement resources to enhance TRS learning and research capacity; and 4) Foster collaborative networks among Tobacco Centers of Regulatory Science investigators nationally. We will build on considerable existing resources at the University of Rochester and Roswell Park Cancer Institute, including the University of Rochester Clinical and Translational Science Institute and associated Coordination Center for Leading Innovation and Collaboration, the Regulatory Sciences Workgroup and the Center for Experiential Learning; existing regulatory science coursework, mentoring and career enhancement programs at both institutions; and existing systems for interactive online learning, video conferencing, and information sharing. Outreach and support will be provided for students (high school, college, graduate, medical), fellows/residents, scholars, new and early stage investigators, and investigators at all stages who are shifting their focus to Tobacco Regulatory Science research. Career enhancement activities include mentored pilot projects, synergy papers, webinars and Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs), career stories by current investigators, an annual student Tobacco Regulatory Science talent competition, virtual lab tours, independent studies, internship and exchange programs, an adapted online, inter-institutional certificate resource for tobacco regulatory science, an interactive website with access to career enhancement opportunities, an annual Roswell Park Cancer Institute/University of Rochester conference, and infusion of tobacco regulatory science content into existing curricula, seminars, and trainee and mentor development programs. Through this core, WNY Center for Research on Flavored Tobacco Products (CRoFT) proposes to create a vibrant, dynamic process that generates excitement in Tobacco Regulatory Science discovery, focuses efforts on science to inform FDA priorities for regulatory decisions, and links researchers across multiple areas of Tobacco Regulatory Science research to maximize creative and FDA-relevant scientific output.
