The objective of this program is to train four postdoctoral fellows (three new Ph.D., Level 0 and one Ph.D., Level 1 for a two-year training period) in developmental theory and methodology in order to provide them with the skills necessary to become productive, independent researchers and scholars in the field. We continue to emphasize basic, theoretically driven research; however, we have expanded our focus to include a variety of applied issues and special populations. Four substantive training areas are emphasized: (a) Cognitive and Perceptual Development, (b) Social and Emotional Development, (c) Developmental Psychopathology, and (d) Developmental Cognitive Neuropsychology Within each area, the focus is on developmental processes and how they are manifest at different periods across the life-span. Moreover, there is an emphasis on development in context-, with attention to the familial, cultural, social, and educational contexts in which development occurs. A number of faculty projects address such issues in ethnic minority populations. Twenty core faculty in the Department of Psychology (35% women, 20% minorities) plus several adjunct faculty at the University of Colorado Medical School, serve as potential mentors. Each faculty member has a well-equipped laboratory with ample facilities (e.g., computers, specific equipment, testing and observational rooms) to address his/her particular research questions. Trainees participate in their own postdoctoral seminar, attend several research groups, conduct research with more than one faculty mentor, attend seminars that provide them with greater breadth and depth, and engage in other professional activities, for example, they may serve on dissertation committees, review and prepare grant proposals, teach a course, and receive clinical training to enhance their applied research skills. Trainees are selected from a talented and competitive pool of applicants from high quality graduate programs who have had a strong academic record, displayed research productivity in graduate school, and have the potential to become an independent, productive researcher in an academic, medical, or research setting.
