State the application's broad, long-term objectives and specific aims, making reference to the health relatedness of the project. Describeconcisely the research design and methods for achieving these goals. Avoid summaries of past accomplishments and the use of the first person. This abstractis meant to serve as a succinct and accurate description of the proposed work when separated from the application. If the application is funded, thisdescription, as is, will become public information. Therefore, do not include proprietary/confidential information. DO NOT EXCEED THE SPACEPROVIDED.This application requests renewed funding for a two-year, didactic training program in Patient Oriented Research(POR), directed by faculty at the Mailman School of Public Health and the College of Physicians & Surgeons ofColumbia University. Successful completion of training leads to a Master of Science degree in Biostatistics,Patient Oriented Research track. The POR track formally unites and fully exploits the training capabilities of theschools of medicine and public health with a view to augmenting training opportunities specifically in the area ofclinical research. The overall goal of the current proposal is to maintain and enhance this strong, broadly baseddidactic program that prepares young investigators for independent careers in academic medicine. With this inmind, the specific aims are: (1) To maintain the successful POR program that has been developed andimplemented over the past 5 years; (2) To continue the long-term follow-up of program graduates and describethe program's impact on their career paths as clinical research scientists; (3) To utilize detailed survey and focusgroup data from program graduates and current candidates to identify areas for improvement in the currentcurriculum; and (4) To sustain ties with our current Advisory Board members and recruit new members, whoserole is to assist in admissions, provide feedback on research proposals, participate in workshops, serve asmentors, and share their expertise to ensure that the program's content and structure are as effective as possiblein enabling graduates to successfully vie for independent research funding. Our application provides a detailedreview of past and current trainees and their achievements to date as confirmation of the program's effectiveness.We also highlight areas for improvement and present specific plans for curriculum modification. The MailmanSchool, the College of Physicians & Surgeons, and the New York Presbyterian Hospital have renewed theirexceptional commitment to the program by pledging to continue to support 12 students/year with full tuitionscholarships, ensuring an exceptional applicant pool each year.PERFORMANCE SITE(S) (organization, city, state)Columbia University-Health SciencesMailman School of Public HealthColumbia UniversityDepartment of Biostatistics630 West 168th StreetNew York, New York 10032KEY PERSONNEL. See instructions. Use continuation pages as needed to provide the required informationStart with Principal Investigator. List all other key personnel in alphabetical order, last name first.Name OrganizationMelissa D. Begg Columbia University-Hlth SciencesHenry Ginsberg Columbia University-Hlth SciencesBruce Link Columbia University-Hlth SciencesJohn O'Connor Columbia University-Hlth SciencesMichael Parides Columbia University-Hlth SciencesSharon Schwartz Columbia University-Hlth Sciencesin the format shown below.Role on ProjectDirectorCo-DirectorResearch MentorCourse DirectorFaculty CoordinatorFaculty CoordinatorDisclosure Permission Statement. Applicable to SBIR/STTR Only. See instructions. [] Yes [] NoPHS 398 (Rev. 05/01 ) Page 2 Number pages consecutively at the bottom throughout Form Page 2 the application. Do not use suffixes such as 2a, 2b. Principal Investigator/Program Director (Last, First, Middle): Begg, Melissa D.The name of the principal investigator/program director must be provided at the top of each printed page and each continuation page. RESEARCH GRANT
