This is a proposal to establish an institutional NRSA training program for predoctoral trainees in the Departments of Biological Sciences and Chemistry and Biochemistry at the University of Notre Dame. The purpose of this program is to train a highly qualified group of predoctoral students in an interdisciplinary environment that will provide them with significant cross-training at the interface of chemistry, biochemistry, and biology. The long term goals of this program are to prepare our trainees to be able to conduct independent interdisciplinary biomedical research, to work effectively in an interdisciplinary team setting, and to train others in interdisciplinary research. We also aim to foster a greater level of interaction and collaboration between biologists, biochemists, and chemists. The characteristics of our research training program include the following: A large applicant pool of highly qualified candidates A strong record of interactions and collaborations between participating laboratories A diverse and strong group of experienced, productive, and federally-funded investigators available to serve as research mentors Laboratory rotations for students prior to selection of a thesis mentor An extended cross-training experience outside the mentor's laboratory Supplementation of training with seminars, lecture series, monthly trainee meetings, and an annual retreat Tracking of each trainee's progress towards their research training goals by an individual advisory committee and by the program's steering committee Mechanisms for continuous evaluation and improvement of the training program, professional development, career placement, and attraction and retention of underrepresented minorities Excellent research facilities equipped with state-of-the-art instrumentation Strong institutional commitment, with the University of Notre Dame providing a fellowship match in a 1:1 ratio and stipend supplementation of trainees
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