The overall goal of the K30: Clinical Research Curriculum Award at WeilI-Cornell Medical College is to train patient-oriented researchers to conceive, design and conduct independent clinical research in a well-structured cross-disciplinaryteam environment. The primary objective is to provide the fundamental skills of clinical research and anunderstandingof the complex issues associated with conducting such research. For this new program, a joint-teachingendeavor has been forged between Weill Medical College, the Weill Graduate School of Medical Sciences, and theGraduate School at the Cornell University Ithaca Campus. Our proposed curriculum is based on a strong infrastructureof existing courses, seminars and skill-acquisitionworkshops within the medical college and graduate schools. Newcourses and restructured courses to achieve the goals of this proposal have been added. Teaching tools will includecomputer-based learning, and interactive video-conferencing, currently effectively in use at the medical school forcombined educational programs with the Cornell Ithaca campus. = The WeUl Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences, located on the Medical School campus, will be the degreegranting institution.The curriculum offers two tracks that are designed for rigorous training in clinical investigation. Track I: a core curriculum providing the basic skills of clinical imiestigation, leading to a Certificate in ClinicalInvestigation. It includes training in: 1) the development of research hypotheses and methods of hypothesis testing; 2)grant writingand manuscript preparation; 3) data collection, construction of databases and data management systems;4) computerprograms for data analysis; 5) statistical analysis and the appropriate use of various statistical techniquesin clinicalresearch; 6) basicepidemiologic principles in clinical research; 7) ethics and human subjects protection in theconduct of patient-oriented research; 8) regulatory requirements of clinical research; preparing protocols for the HumanRights Committee and other agencies; 9) grants management and intellectual property; and 10) general and specificstate-of-the-art research tools and techniques. Track I1:leading to a Masters in Clinical Investigation, includes 1) a core curriculum (Track1); 2) additionalelectives in the trainee's area of interest; and 3) a clinical research project mentored by a clinical investigator in itsdesign and implementation and conducted in the Clinical Research Center. To encourage trainees to continue their pursuit of a clinical research career at Weill Medical College, the Dean willoffer bridge funding, provided by the Dean's Clinical Scholar's Program for Faculty in Clinical Research, for three to fiveyears to trainees who have commendably completed the Masters Degree. i'o date, $50 million has been raised for thesupport of clinical investigators for full-time or part-time protected research activities for three to five years. He will alsoprovide stipends ($55,000 per trainee) for 2-3 qualified candidates in need of funding.
