There is a critical shortage of veterinarians with training in experimental design and research technologies, which is evidenced by the great demand for competent veterinary researchers sought by veterinary colleges, medical schools, pharmaceutical industries, and federal agencies. In particular, veterinary scientists are necessary to address two critical areas of need for biomedical research: translational medicine and emerging infectious diseases. At the Mississippi State University College of Veterinary Medicine and Tuskegee University College of Veterinary Medicine, we are particularly well suited to address these areas of need. Our long- term goal is to contribute to the national capacity of veterinarians in biomedical research by engaging and educating veterinary students in short-term research training early in their curriculum. The immediate goal of this application is to involve veterinary students in short-term research training opportunities supported by the Ruth L. Kirschstein NRSA Short-Term Institutional Research Training Grants (T35) program. Specifically, MSU-CVM and TUCVM propose to administer a Summer Research Experience Program to recruit and train veterinary students in biomedical research. Another important goal of our program is to increase diversity in the veterinary research workforce. Our program will provide summer research experiences for twelve veterinary students each year that have completed their freshman, sophomore, or junior year in an AVMA-accredited veterinary curriculum. The proposed training will consist of a continuous twelve week block of time in summer. The program will have three major components: 1) research conducted under the mentorship of an active faculty researcher, 2) educational activities in research, career development, and leadership, and 3) training and experience in preparation of scientific presentations. MSU-CVM and TUCVM will take several steps to ensure the program is jointly operated: both colleges will participate in selecting trainees, educational activities will be jointly administered, and trainees will be assigned to MSU or TU based on individual research interests. Our colleges have unique research programs to give trainees experience in toxicology, epidemiology, translational research, genomics/functional genomics, computational biology, infectious disease, oncology, or food safety.
The proposed short-term research training program for veterinary students will prepare future veterinary scientists, which will address a U.S. shortage of veterinary researchers with advanced training. Veterinary scientists are needed for translating basic medical discoveries into useful diagnostics and treatments using animal models, and they are needed to address zoonotic diseases (infectious agents that are spread from animals to humans).
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