This application seeks to develop a postdoctoral training program emphasizing excellence in both research and minority (American Indian) undergraduate education by utilizing well-developed links between the University of MN Medical School Duluth and two minority serving institutions, Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College and Lake Superior College. Both of these institutions currently participate in a Bridges to the Baccalaureate grant with the University of MN Medical School Duluth. Additional support mechanisms at the University of MN Medical School Duluth provide research opportunities and support for minority students, primarily American Indians, in their junior and senior undergraduate years and for Masters degree training via a MARC grant and a Bridges to the doctorate grant. The Pharmacology Department at the University of MN Medical School Twin Cities also provides minority doctoral training. This application proposes to utilize all four educational entities to provide postdoctoral training opportunities to benefit both the minority serving institutions in the area and the doctoral students produced from the University of MN Medical School, as well as other, programs. The training experience will emphasize state-of-the-art science with exceptional NIH (or equivalent) funded investigators with emphases on cancer, neuroscience, environmental medicine or minority health research. The teaching component will emphasize modern methods including problem-based learning laboratory components and on-line instruction, as well as classical lectures. The resulting program will provide postdoctoral associates with ideal investigative and teaching skills combined with the ability to apply those skills in academic environments including minority-serving institutions. Lay Description: This grant is designed to train young scientists how to be more effective researchers and teachers at traditional academic institutions, as well as, schools with large minority (American Indian) populations. The research training will occur at the University of Minnesota, either on the Duluth or Twin Cities campus. The teaching portion of the training will occur at Lake Superior College or Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College.
