The Neurobiology Curriculum (NBIO) at UNC-Chapel Hill (UNC-CH) is one of the oldest neuroscience graduate training programs in the US having granted PhDs continuously for 47 years. NBIO has a reputation for excellence and rigor, and there has been constant recruitment of new faculty which keeps the program innovative. In support of NBIO, we request renewed funding for T32 NS007431, Neuroscience Predoctoral Training at UNC-Chapel Hill. This T32 supports 10 stipends and travel funds for NBIO students in the 1st and 2nd years of training. The Training Grant importantly impacts neuroscience graduate training at UNC-Chapel Hill (UNC-CH) in several ways: 1) T32 support for travel provides access to career-enhancing enrichment activities for the most promising students. 2) T32 support increases student access to the best training labs. 3) T32 support enhances our recruitment and mentoring of URM trainees. 4) T32 support leverages resources provided by the UNC School of Medicine and thereby helps support the seminar series and the annual UNC Neuroscience Symposium. NBIO is a comprehensive neuroscience graduate training program that has strong leadership and standing committees to guide the program, a thoughtfully constructed and rigorous Core course, and a diverse group of electives. There are numerous, well-attended community activities including weekly seminars, a weekly data presentation series for the students, an annual symposium, presentation of the internationally recognized Perl/UNC Neuroscience Prize, and an annual student research day. Mentoring in the program is continuous and there are well-designed activities to educate students about academic and non-academic careers. Faculty and students have outstanding publication records. Multiple trainees (27%) received individual NRSAs during the reporting period. Almost all trainees who received PhDs during the past 10 years are pursuing scientific careers including academic positions, positions in pharma/biotech, other scientific careers, completion of MD/PhD training, and postdoctoral fellowships. There is an outstanding record of recruiting and retaining URM trainees. Renewal would allow UNC-CH to continue training the next generation of neuroscientists including a strong contingent from URM groups.
'Neuroscience Predoctoral Training at UNC-Chapel Hill' supports predoctoral trainees in the Neurobiology Curriculum (NBIO) at the University of North Carolina -Chapel Hill. Trainees take a rigorous course work and perform research in diverse areas of neuroscience with an emphasis on diseases-related approaches. Almost all trainees from the past ten years are pursuing careers in science with many associated with academic medical centers.
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