This 4th competitive renewal application for an Institutional T32 training grant is possible due to outstanding base of aging research, funded mainly by the NIA at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine and Montefiore Health System. Included as the bedrock for this grant are the following programmatic features: Einstein Nathan Shock Center of Excellence in Basic Biology of Aging (E-NSC, an NIA-funded P30), the Paul Glenn Center for the Biology of Human Aging (E-Glenn), the hugely popular graduate course in the Biology of Aging, developed specifically for this grant, and a very successful Hackathon that we will institute for purposes of rigor and reproducibility training 2016, awards for several aging research Programs (3 P01s and a U19) as well as significant growth in individual R01 awards. Einstein continues as a source of mentees, delivers collaborative environments and fosters interactions with research gerontologists. Within this collaborative environment lies a strong emphasis on research on the biology of aging founded upon a diverse group of well- funded mentor investigators, who in turn have access to a diverse pool of potential trainees as shown by our previous successes over the past three training cycles and data tables in this proposal showing a continuing pool of highly qualified eligible trainees. Our T32 funding has been a success judging by the quality of candidates, their scientific and academic achievement, the number of trainees who are remain in research positions, and the number of minority individuals trained. Because of our growth as an aging Center, we do not wish or need to reject or defer excellent candidates, we have had no difficulty with our current number of slots at three predoctoral and four predoctoral trainees and propose to continue at this same level, in order not to reject or defer excellent and eligible qualified trainees. With our responsive evaluation program in place, we have made changes such as increasing our co-mentoring program; shortening training periods who are not performing well to make the most of our investment and assuring a hackathon to follow-up on the success of the initial program in 2017. Thus, our T32 predoctoral and postdoctoral training program has been very strong and is getting stronger due to the uniqueness of our Institute and its growth in resources, allowing participants to gain state-of-the-art research training, exposure to diverse investigators, enabling them to embark on careers involving research in aging and aging-related diseases.
This previous period of T32 funding to train the scientists of tomorrow in aging research has been a success judging by the quality of candidates, their scientific and academic achievement, the number of trainees who have stayed in research and the number of minority individuals trained. Within our collaborative environment lies a strong emphasis on translational research from a diverse group of mentors who are well-funded investigators in aging-related research and who have access to a diverse pool of potential trainees. Include in the curriculum is a Biology of Aging class developed specifically for this grant,and new to this proposal is a hackathon to teach rigor and reproducibility.
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