. We are requesting support for a new interdisciplinary ?Clinical Translational Research Certificate of Added Qualification? (CTR-CAQ) training program for graduate students enrolled in any of the PhD-awarding graduate programs at Baylor College of Medicine (BCM). This program has strong support from BCM leadership, graduate faculty and students. The mission of the rigorous two-year program is to provide students who seek a career focused on the translation of biomedical discoveries into molecular medicine advances, with integrated education in the foundational knowledge and professional skills required to lead effective translational research teams. The rationale for this program builds upon our 14-year experience of successfully integrating translational research training in a single graduate program in Translational Biology and Molecular Medicine (TBMM). A diverse group of TBMM graduates are currently engaged in multiple diverse translational research careers. This success provided the premise that translational research training accessible to all graduate students at BCM is vital to develop a diverse research workforce in all subdisciplines of biomedical science. This need cannot be reliant on physician-scientists alone and must include a diverse cadre of PhD scientists. Internal evaluation of TBMM outcomes and review of national priorities for education and skills development to enhance career preparedness of an increasingly important translational research workforce, form the basis of measurable objectives of the new program. We will combine the best components of the legacy TBMM program with several new innovative strategies for: (a) Recruitment and retention of a diverse cadre of students in the translational workforce; (b) Mentor training, mentor collaboration, and mentorship oversight; (c) Practical skill development and career preparedness for translational research, including training in regulatory knowledge and its practical application in meaningful team-based science, and in leadership; (d) Formal evaluation of overall programmatic effectiveness, individual perceived benefits during the trainee trajectory through the program, and of short- and long-term outcomes upon completion of the program. Thus, the primary objectives of the program are: (1) to prepare students for careers in translational research by combining formative didactic teaching, skill development workshops and experiential learning in clinical research settings with a mentored translational research project deliverable in the form of a capstone project with team-work components; (2) to effectively integrate this program with the training in the primary PhD- training programs; (3) to develop and monitor best mentorship practices; (4) to formally evaluate programmatic and individual outcomes during and after students participate in the CTR-CAQ program. We anticipate that this program will develop a cadre of leaders in translational molecular medicine and team-based research who will remain engaged in a diverse array of academic and non-academic biomedical science careers.
We are applying for funding to support students in a new interdepartmental Clinical Translational Research Certificate of Added Qualification Training Program that will offer unique translational research training to students selected from all graduate programs. The program will integrate with primary biomedical sciences PhD graduate programs, to which it will add a unique education in clinical translational research through a rigorous two-year curriculum with formal course work, practical skill building workshops, dedicated seminars, and experience in clinical research that integrates with the translational thesis research accepted students are performing. The ultimate goal of this program is to educate a highly skilled translational molecular medicine workforce, poised to become future research leaders who can efficiently navigate between bench and bedside to translate molecular discoveries from the lab to the clinic or develop molecular research strategies at the bench for solving important human health problems.
