Objectives, rationale and program design. For the last nine years, The Institute of Translational Health Sciences' (ITHS) TL1 training program has prepared predoctoral investigators from across the University of Washington (UW) Health Sciences Schools with the skills and knowledge that supports translational science careers.
The Specific Aim of this application is to create a cross-disciplinary community of predoctoral scientists and provide them with methodologic training, career development opportunities, and team science skills to function effectively within translational science teams. Program objectives are met through a mentored research component and individualized structured coursework that includes core courses, enhanced experiential components, and courses targeting multidisciplinary team science. Trainees' mentored research projects are related to dissertation research or fulfill the research requirement for the graduate degree for those supplementing professional degree training. No other UW institutional T32 program draws trainees from across disciplines, provides training on specific translational research competencies with an emphasis team science, and offers interdisciplinary learning through the ongoing and significant trainee interactions. Program research training, key activities, and scientific disciplines: Core coursework includes biomedical research integrity, design, and methods of translational research, translational research competencies, conduct of interdisciplinary research, and multidisciplinary communication and interactions. Additional courses in methods relevant to translational science are required such as biostatistics, epidemiologic methods, or clinical trial design, but the exact program of study is individualized per trainee needs and goals. An outstanding pool of mentors, with primary appointments in 21 departments across eight schools, supports our TL1 trainees. Levels and duration of training: ITHS' 12-month, predoctoral training program is intended for graduate students in pre-licensure professional health sciences programs or students in PhD programs of clinical fields such as nursing, pharmacy, public health, social work, or other related fields (e.g., bioengineering). Projected number of trainees, levels of experience, and program outcomes: TL1 accepts 20 trainees from the health sciences (i.e., Nursing, Pharmacy, Dentistry, Public Health, Social Work, and Medicine) and the Colleges of Engineering and Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences. Trainees must demonstrate interest in translational science and be able to identify/develop a specific translational science proposal with a mentor. Differences in preparation among the multidisciplinary trainees are expected and individualized coursework helps to meet basic requirements and/or round out prior training. Trainees must complete all course requirements, their research project, related presentations and publications, and an assessment of competency in translational and team science skills.
Showing the most recent 10 out of 58 publications
