This renewal application (years 16 through 20) seeks support for early stage training of doctoral students in the neurosciences at Duke University. The goal of this comprehensive, broad-based, interdisciplinary program is to train top-level neurobiologists for positions in research-oriented institutions. The application seeks funding for 8 predoctoral students each year, typically 4 in their first year of study and 4 in their second. The program is directed by a Steering Committee in concert with the program director, James O. McNamara, MD, and co-director, Dona Chikaraishi, PhD. Preceptors are drawn from multiple departments and represent a broad diversity of fields ranging from cellular and molecular to systems and cognitive neuroscience. In addition, the current funding period has witnessed a concerted effort at recruitment of translational neuroscientists to the faculty. Preceptors include scientists with long and distinguished records of achievement as well as recently recruited, talented young faculty. A large applicant pool averaging 120 to 150 candidates per year permits recruitment of a talented, diverse class of eight or nine new students each fall. Students undergo extensive training including demanding coursework addressing the depth and breadth of fundamental and translational neuroscience. Additional training and course work emphasizes oral presentation, grant writing, teaching and career development. Student progress is carefully monitored throughout the entire graduate training. An average of 5-6 students graduate each year. Upon completion of postdoctoral fellowships and clinical training (where applicable), approximately half of the graduates secure tenure-track faculty positions in research institutions and half work in industry, medical practice, and non-tenured faculty positions. Extensive efforts center on recruitment and retention of minority students. The goal of the program is to train a new generation of scientists, well versed in standard techniques, but loaded with the imagination and insights that equip them to push across discipline boundaries in search of new and deeper understandings of the basis of nervous system function in health and disease.
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