application) This renewal proposal requests five additional years of support (years 27-32) for the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Training Grant in Gastroenterology. Support is requested for six M.D. trainees from clinical gastroenterology (GE), principally from the UCLA Specialized Training in Academic Research (STAR) and the Affiliated UCLA Training Programs in Gastroenterology, plus one additional Ph.D. and one additional minority candidate, for a total of eight positions per year. This Training Grant has been funded continuously since 1974, and John H. Walsh had been the Principal Investigator/Director since 1981. During the past ten years, 42 trainees have been enrolled in the program and 36 have completed training. Of these 36, 34 (94%) completed at least two years of research training, 34 (94%) published at least one peer-reviewed research paper, 32 (89%) obtained additional research training support, 31 (86%) hold academic university or pharmaceutical positions, 23 (64%) have been Principal Investigator of one or more NIH funded training or research grants and another 6 (16%) have received Veterans Administration career development or research grants, so that a total of 29 (80%) have received independent federal funding. It has been possible to support this large number of research fellows by utilizing other sources of individually acquired research funding for research training beyond the first year in many instances. The administrative structure of the Training Grant has evolved during the past ten years to maximize productivity, satisfaction, and successful career paths for virtually all trainees. The Research Career Development Committee (RCDC) ensures that trainees have close supervision throughout their training and that they are exposed to formal courses and research seminars to expand their scientific knowledge base. The STAR program has added the dimension of obtaining a Ph.D. degree as part of the research training. This training serves as the foundation of a highly evolved and successful UCLA Training Program in Gastroenterology. Continued support is needed to maintain the quality and productivity of this program.
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