This is a proposal for the renewal of our Pediatric Injury Research Training Program. Our goal is to create and sustain a corps of interdisciplinary-trained investigators who will conduct rigorous research on ways to reduce the toll from injuries. Injuries are the most common cause of death and acquired disability during childhood and adolescence, and addressing this key public health problem is part of the core mission of NICHD. This application and our training program uniquely addresses pediatric injury (scientific focus) and includes a health equity lens. This remains the only comprehensive pediatric injury research training program in the nation that addresses injury and violence of all types.
The specific aims of this training program are to: (1) Recruit and train 2 outstanding post-doctoral fellows annually for a two year program from a national applicant pool with attention to diversity in clinical and academic backgrounds, socioeconomic status, race, ethnicity and gender. (2) Provide trainees with a well-balanced curriculum in injury control and theory along with methodologic skills in research and an introduction to non-clinical disciplines important to interdisciplinary research. (3) Foster a learning environment with highly engaged mentors who provide practical and relevant research experience and serve as role models for the trainee as teachers, researchers, and clinicians, and can assist the fellow with placement beyond the trainee program to support career development. There are 5 components to the training: (1) Formal didactic courses to fill gaps in prior academic training to conduct research in injury control and to provide exposure to disciplines relevant to injury research. These have been adjusted to better meet the needs of our fellows, and to include education on health disparities and equity. (2). Attendance at fellowship-focused seminars including weekly small group research seminars, a 12-week Biomedical Integrity in Research Seminar Series, formal training in scientific writing, and formal training in grant writing. (3). Provide fellows with the opportunity to present their work at two national meetings annually focused on a discipline in their primary research area, providing ability to network with other injury researchers. (4). In depth research training in an active, on-going research program at one of the training units with mentoring from an interdisciplinary group of faculty at the UW and its collaborating sites. (5). Development and implementation of research projects in injury research, supervised by one or more of the core faculty mentors, to achieve these goals: (1) To develop the research skills necessary to initiate a career as an independent investigator in injury control research. (2) To become expert in a focused area of pediatric injury control research and begin to develop a trajectory of research on which to build a successful career as an extramurally funded investigator.
Injury control is directly related to two overarching goals of Healthy People 2020: (1) Attain high-quality, longer lives free of preventable disease, disability, injury, and premature death; and (2) Achieve health equity, eliminate disparities, and improve the health of all groups. Continued attention to controlling injuries in children and reducing health disparities related to injury remains a foremost challenge for public health, a priority reflected in the 43 injury prevention goals set forth in Healthy People 2020, many of which have not been achieved. This Pediatric Injury Research Training program remains the only comprehensive pediatric injury research training program in the nation that addresses injury and violence of all types.
Showing the most recent 10 out of 90 publications
