Contact PD/PI: McPherson, David D. NRSA-Training-001 (011) This TL1 Training Core, a part of Center for Clinical and Translational Sciences (CCTS) CTSA application, will provide 11 predoctoral PhD or MD/PhD students and 4 postdoctoral fellows annually with high-level and effective training in translational science. The major goal of this program is to provide high-level and effective training that promotes leadership in the translational sciences. TL1 trainees complete a competency-based training program that delivers a foundational understanding of the translational sciences as well as training in essential enrichment areas of career and professional development, including team science, leadership, entrepreneurship, and big data informatics/analytics. This training, with support for up to 2 years, promotes leadership in the translational sciences and contributes to workforce development of this field. Predoctoral trainees are appointed from the diverse student body of The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center (UT MDACC) UTHealth Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences (UT-GSBS), a graduate school jointly administered and shared by The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHSC-H) and UT MDACC. Postdoctoral trainees are appointed from both UTHSC-H and UT MDACC. This unique collaborative training environment is located in the Texas Medical Center, an extensive, world-class concentration of biomedical research and healthcare delivery. UT-GSBS students are admitted through an umbrella program where they receive fundamental knowledge in the biomedical sciences before branching out into discipline- specific programs offering in-depth research training. However, these discipline-specific programs do not provide a structured opportunity for trainees to gain knowledge and enrichment across the spectrum of translational sciences. This TL1 Training Core is focused on addressing this unmet need. Likewise, this program will provide postdoctoral fellows specialized training in translational sciences. TL1 trainees are selected by a competitive process that identifies promising individuals who show serious interest in translational research, have outstanding performance in coursework, and are mentored by faculty fully aware of the translational mission of the TL1 Core. Trainees are required to take courses and participate in enrichment activities that fulfill 11 targeted competencies that prepare them to rapidly integrate their skills into the clinical and translational sciences workforce. Extensive resources in the translational sciences, available through the CCTS, UTHSC-H, UT MDACC, and the Texas Regional CTSA Consortium, allow trainees to formulate personalized training programs that fit their research and career goals. All mentors are required to take Mentoring Works! Training to help align training and career development. Trainees who complete this program will have obtained specific skills to assist them in conducting collaborative science in the translational workforce.
