The continuing aim of the Brain Injury Training Grant (BITG) is to provide an excellent mentoring environment for highly motivated clinician and basic scientists to prepare them for careers in nervous system injury research. Our trainees acquire basic science research skills that address the etiology, pathogenesis, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of injury to the nervous system, such as traumatic brain injury (TBI), cerebral ischemia (stroke), and brain repair. Since its inception in 2003, the training program has flourished. For former BITG trainees who have finished all career training, 19 have obtained faculty positions (9 neurosurgeon academic clinicians and 10 Ph.D. academic scientists). In addition 3 trainees joined US government biomedical research administration (respectively, NIH, DARPA and DVBIC), 1 trainee is a scientific journal editor, and 3 trainees have gone on to positions in the biomedical research industry. For this competing renewal of the BITG, we request continued funding for 4 postdoctoral fellowship slots (simultaneous) for individuals with a strong interest in studying injury to the nervous system. These positions are anticipated to be filled by a combination of neurosurgical residents (during their strictly protected research training) and highly qualified Ph.D. graduates. The BITG program administration will continue to be democratically governed by group vote of faculty mentors. Day-to-day management will be entrusted to an Executive Committee. For training, the research project will typically be based in an individual laboratory. Trainees will actively participate in selecting the mentor and laboratory. To become integrated with the greater BITG community and research program, trainees will engage in multiple activities, such as mandatory and optional course work, seminars and scientific retreats. Unique to this program, trainees will also participate in patient outreach events and they will perform community service. In addition, over the current funded cycle, we have established a plan to continue and enhance our successful efforts on diversity recruitment. This includes a designated Diversity Recruitment Liaison as a member of our Executive Committee and employing strategies to increase awareness and engagement with diversity opportunities. Considering the growing understanding of the impact of nervous system injury on society, the well-established BITG program plays an important role in training well-rounded future research leaders in this area.
The continuing aim of the Brain Injury Training Grant (BITG) is to provide an excellent mentoring environment for highly motivated clinician and basic scientists to prepare them for careers in nervous system injury research. We request continued funding for 4 post-doctoral training slots (simultaneous) for individuals with a strong interest in studying injury to the nervous system who will train within a broader program. These positions are anticipated to be filled by a combination of neurosurgical residents (during their strictly protected research training) and highly qualified Ph.D. graduates.
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