The Molecular Biosciences Training Grant (MBTG) Program at the University of Wisconsin-Madison supports and enhances the training of predoctoral students who aspire to become research leaders in the cellular, biochemical, and molecular sciences. The MBTG Program has selected a strong cadre of 94 nationally recognized trainers from 26 different departments to mentor trainees. Trainees are selected each year from an outstanding pool of over 500 training grant-eligible applicants to top-ranked campus Ph.D. programs, including the Integrated Program in Biochemistry, Cellular and Molecular Biology, and Microbiology. The MBTG Program provides trainees with early and intensive orientation and advising, expanded lab rotation opportunities, and support for intellectual and professional development. Interdisciplinary training is promoted by a broad core curriculum and a weekly seminar series. The MBTG Program also provides instruction in appropriate scientific conduct, progress tracking, and career advising. In its 35 year history, the MBTG Program has enhanced the training of well over 500 graduate students, many of whom have become leaders in academia, industry and government laboratories, and non-profit organizations. We currently have 62 trainees, 34 of whom are supported on training grant funds at any one time. The MBTG Program is directed by a dedicated Steering Committee consisting of six trainers, two trainees, and a program administrator. The Ph.D. programs that contribute students to the MBTG Program receive substantial support from the university in the form of recruiting funds and fellowships for underrepresented minority candidates. The UW campus continually improves our state-of-the-art facilities for biosciences research, which directly benefits MBTG trainees and trainers. This effort assures UW-Madison's continued eminence in biomedical research. To capitalize on the expanding research infrastructure and trainer pool, we request a gradual increase of funded positions from the current 34 to 40 by the year 2015.
The enormous potential of biomedical research to improve the quality of life and reduce the cost of healthcare for the people of this and other countries can only be realized by increasing the quality, diversity and size of the pool of trained researchers, which is the direct goal of the MBTG Program.
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