The University of Michigan is an ideal institution for the Multidisciplinary Clinical Researchers in Training Program (MCRiT). MCRiT will: 1) customize existing research infrastructure to the needs of predoctoral trainees; 2) provide a mandatory short course that will expose students to clinical research early in their course of study; 3) provide an innovative summer research experience with practical and didactic components; 3) provide a rigorous yet flexible curriculum leading to either a Certificate or Masters of Science in Clinical Research and providing thorough training in protection of Human Subjects and the responsible conduct of research; 4) establish a faculty core to provide resources, training, and evaluation for the mentor pool; 5) implement an administration and evaluation program that will allow continuous improvement; and 6) recruit an excellent and diverse cohort of Trainees. MCRiT will draw on existing institutional strengths, including: 1) highly ranked graduate programs in all health sciences, consistently achieving top-five national standings in federal research funding; 2) strong existing K-30 and K-12 programs for post-doctoral candidates; 3) a School of Public Health offering nationally-recognized didactic training in clinical research; 4) a unique Center for the Advancement of Clinical Research (CACR), which provides infrastructure and support for multidisciplinary clinical research, including an established multidisciplinary educational program; 5) one of the largest and most active General Clinical Research Centers in the nation; 6) a large state and institutional investment in biomedical research; and 7) close proximity to the Ann Arbor Laboratories of Pfizer, Inc. The proposed program will draw faculty, mentors and Scholars from the Schools of Medicine, Nursing, and Dentistry, and will provide opportunities for collaboration within the Schools of Public Health, Engineering, Kinesiology, Pharmacy, and Business. With permission from NIH, trainees from these schools will be eligible for the program. CACR will provide all trainees with a dedicated research environment and experienced research support. Collaboration with the Office for Diversity and Career Development will promote a diverse cohort. Many program elements, including archiving and webcasting of the Trainees' core curriculum, will benefit the entire clinical research community. By training the next generation of clinical researchers, MCRiT will ultimately support research crucial to maintaining and improving the public's health. ? ? ?
