This application seeks continued support for the Cornell University predoctoral Training Pro- gram in Genetics and Development. This Training Program is administered by the Graduate Field of Genetics, Genomics and Development. It is a stable and highly successful Program that builds on decades of experience in training scores of stellar Ph.D. students, as well as an adaptable program that has continually modified its Training Program to meet the needs of con- temporary students. We request support to fund 7 students, which matches our student pool and training capacity. Trainees have published an average of 4.1 papers per completed Ph.D. over the last 10 years, and Trainers are currently very well funded with an average of ~$359,000 in research funds per year. Program Trainers come from 13 different departments and units across the University, which contributes to the extraordinary breadth of experience and the highly collaborative network of interactions among Trainers and Trainees. Over the last five years, 12 new Trainers have joined the Program, for a total of 46 Trainers. Other major program changes include substantial enhancements to coursework and training in statistics, bio- informatics, grant proposal writing, and the responsible conduct of research (RCR); extensive opportunities for students to enhance awareness of career options outside of academic re- search; new and enhanced mechanisms for students to set and receive feedback and assess- ment on defined learning objectives; and major new initiatives to increase our effectiveness in recruiting students from under-represented minority (URM) groups. These and other recent changes will be assessed annually using well-established and effective procedures. In addition, new initiatives that we propose for the proposed Training Program include more frequent exter- nal review of the Program, having students explicitly discuss issues of data reproducibility dur- ing their annual research seminars, and developing efforts to increase our visibility to prospec- tive students with disabilities.
The Genetics and Development Training Program at Cornell University provides graduate student training to enable the discovery of foundational knowledge of mechanisms of inheritance, the development of plants and animals, and the genetic causes of human diseases. Using both model organisms and direct studies of humans, our students and their Trainers are performing basic research with direct relevance for our understanding of cancer, infertility, stem cells and regenerative medicine, and human pathogens.
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