The purpose of the Columbia Center for Career Development in Reproductive Sciences (CCCDRS) is to continue to maintain an overall programmatic environment and mindset within the Department of Obstetrics; and Gynecology aimed at the recruitment, training, career development and retention of new clinician scientists. This program will aim to strengthen the Department's commitment to develop a highly competent interacting cadre of junior faculty in Obstetrics and Gynecology dedicated to studies in Women's Health. The CCCDRS builds on the faculty of our Center for Reproductive Sciences (CRS) which has an active faculty, structure and training process centered on both basic and clinical investigation, as well as on faculty from other departments in the College of Physicians and Surgeons within the Columbia University Institution. Through CRS and other internationally reputed Columbia faculty with whom the Department and CRS interact, we have assembled a rich research environment for our clinician scientists. In this continuing proposal, we have selected 22 mentors. These mentors have been selected with great care and according to the following criteria: 1) First-rate funded research, laboratory set-up and environment; 2) Research interests that are of relevance to reproductive biology and women's health and/or deal in techniques of crucial importance to studies in human reproduction; 3) Track record in research training, including M.D.'s; 4) Interaction with the faculty in CRS and in the Obstetrics and Gynecology department. Specific research topics are selected by the clinician scientists, with the advice of the PI and the program director and may cover any area deemed relevant to women's health-related topics, such as perinatology and development, reproductive endocrinology and infertility, reproductive oncology and relevant public health topics. The research program is carefully tailored to each clinician scientist's requirements. Our foremost priority is to advice and guide the scientist towards the preparation and submission of an RO1 grant, the first step towards a future independent academic career. A sizeable internal pool of clinician scientists' candidates is currently available and an external pool will be recruited through advertising and promotion. We presently have I internal and 3 external potential candidates. Substantial institutional support exists for our training program. There is also a firm Departmental financial commitment to our clinician scientists, both during the training and for the critical set-up period following completion of the training program. The department of Obstetrics and Gynecology assumes fiscal responsibility for the CRS and is also and will remain firmly committed to the present program which will foster the training of our future junior faculty. It is envisioned that the success of the CCCDRS will be aligned with the academic accomplishments of the Department as well as the future of our specialty; ultimately, the maturation of this cadre of clinician scientists, our future leaders, will ensure success for progress in academic Obstetrics and Gynecology and in Women's Health.
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