The goal of this Neuroscience Training Program is to generate highly creative and productive neuroscientists who are broadly trained in neuroscience, well trained in their research specialty and equipped to address tomorrow?s important neuroscience questions in a broad range of neuroscience-related careers. The University of Rochester has recently made neuroscience the number one priority in its strategic plan, allowing growth in neuroscience research resources, and an expansion of training opportunities. This application takes advantage of this opportunity to expand and enhance graduate training in neuroscience, creating a catalytic and diverse cohort of trainees. Training support is requested for 6 predoctoral students in each of 5 years. This support will be used exclusively for broad and basic support of students in their first two years of graduate study. A diverse and interactive faculty composed of both basic and translational researchers dedicated to excellence in teaching and collaborative research, and committed to neuroscience training fosters a nurturing training environment. These experienced training faculty, with strong records of extramural funding, offer research training opportunities in a wide variety of neuroscience disciplines. Core elements of our training program include: 1. Core and elective coursework as well as discussion of current literature in required weekly journal clubs and seminars; 2. Training in oral and written communication; 3. Training in ethical conduct of research; 4. Training in experimental design and statistical analysis; 5. A strong focus on mentoring from thesis advisors, committees, as well as other faculty and students; 6. Career development leveraging the program Broadening Experiences in Scientific Training (UR BEST) and the Center for Professional Development to provide students with opportunities to follow their own career path. We propose to further enhance training by developing a new curriculum that allows students to develop quantitative skills through a required summer-long course on data analysis and computation using MATLAB as a platform, and a separate annual workshop that addresses issues in rigor, reproducibility and ethics in an on-going hands-on fashion. We will continue to strengthen our already successful strategies to recruit and nurture minority and women students and to provide all of the trainees with the essential skills to become independent scientists with an appreciation for the ethical conduct of research. These trained scientists will provide the next generation of neuroscientists who will further advances in basic science and translational studies, teach future generations, set science policy and alter the landscape of neuroscience through many different paths.
The goal of this predoctoral program is to train highly versatile, productive, independent research neuroscientists. To do this, trainees will be equipped with a broad range of skills and knowledge of molecular, cellular, systems, and integrative neuroscience as well as training in translational research, quantitative skills, rigor and reproducibility, career development, cutting edge scientific techniques, mentoring and other issues important to their scientific future.
