? Massachusetts Institute of Technology provides a superb intellectual environment for the comparative veterinary scientist embarking on a career in biomedical research. Massachusetts Institute of Technology is recognized internationally for its excellence in both undergraduate and graduate biomedical science education. Capitalizing on these resources, the Division of Comparative Medicine (DCM) began training veterinarians in laboratory animal medicine in 1982 and has been a recipient of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) training grant for the past 15 years. The applicants recognized the urgent need to provide the biomedical research community properly trained veterinarians, particularly those who can effectively work in research and academia. To date, the DCM has trained 28 postdoctoral fellows, all of whom are employed in academic or research and development units. The purpose of this proposal is to seek funds to continue postdoctoral training of veterinary scientists for careers in biomedical research. This will be accomplished in part by providing: 1) a strong emphasis in the development of research skills needed for veterinary scientists pursuing a research career; 2) a core curriculum of graduate courses in biomedical sciences; and 3) an intellectual and simulating setting for research in the biomedical sciences. The program will be structured as a four-year curriculum, three years of in-depth research training followed by a year of clinical residency with an option to pursue an advanced degree. Participants in the training will include professional and technical personnel within two MIT divisions, Comparative Medicine and Bioengineering, and three other academic units-the Harvard Medical School, University of Massachusetts, and the New England National Primate Research Center (NENPRC). Massachusetts Institute of Technology faculty will contribute to the core course work; training in research will be provided with established investigators at MIT in the Comparative Medicine and Bioengineering Divisions and other designated research laboratories in other departments at MIT, Harvard, or University of Massachusetts. Research training will emphasize formulation of a significant research project, its design and implementation, critical reviews of pertinent scientific literature, data analysis and statistical evaluation, formal presentation of data at national and international meetings, and publication of research in peer-reviewed journals. Funds are also requested to support six summer veterinary fellows; these stipends will be used to introduce motivated, bright veterinary students to the field of biomedical research. These students will spend a summer in the same research environment in which the postdoctoral fellows conduct their research. ? ?
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