This application requests support to develop, implement, and evaluate a college-wide core curriculum for clinical research investigators training at the Medical College of Wisconsin (MCW). The program will offer a 2-year course which includes a general platform in the basic areas of methodology, theory, and conceptualization skills vital for all clinical investigators, as well as a specialized platform of individualized mentorship in areas specific to the trainee's research career. The program is designed for existing junior faculty, graduates of research training programs, and fellows committed to human-related clinical research pursuits. In year one candidates will be trained through structured didactic seminars, group presentation of their research, and one-to-one research mentorship. The structured seminars in year one are developed to address the following basic areas: orientation to clinical reasearch, ethics and integrity in science, research designs, biostatistical analysis, and advances in scientific techniques. In year two they receive additional training through structured workshops, as well as research presentations and one-on-one mentorship. The structured workship seminars in year two are developed to address the following areas: writing, the research review study section, the Institutional Review Board, and sources for clinical research funding. The program recruitment subcommittee has already identified qualified trainees college-wide who could benefit from this program. Faculty preceptors with established academic and training skills have also been identified. For the first 2-year cycle, the committee will select 12 trainees and match them with appropriate mentors. The long-term goal of this program is 3-fold: 1) provide trainees with theoretical and practical skills that will allow them to compete successfully for peer-reviewed mentored career awards funding; 2) further enhance efforts of investigators already committed to pursuing clinical research and facilitating their ability to conduct research funded (or pending) by a career or junior research award; and 3) refine the skills of accomplished mid-career faculty investigators, thereby facilitating their mentorship roles. With its history in clinical research resources and commitments, as well as its consortium interactions with other colleges and institutes within the Milwaukee area, The Medical College of Wisconsin should provide an excellent environment in which to fulfill these goals.
