Post-Doctoral Training in Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research

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PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT This program has provided interdisciplinary postdoctoral training in research on intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) since 1995, with an emphasis on social-affective, cognitive and communicative, and family processes. We have enrolled and “graduated” 43 postdoctoral trainees and have 3 postdoctoral trainees currently in the program. Of our 43 graduated trainees, 32 obtained faculty positions at universities across the U.S. and nearly all others have obtained research-intensive positions in the field. The training program is housed at the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Waisman Center, and is fully integrated into the multidisciplinary and translational center training activities including through their NICHD-funded Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research Center (IDDRC), over 90 NIH research grants by faculty investigators, and a thriving clinical program serving 2900 patients/yr. The overall goal of the training program is to provide interdisciplinary biobehavioral and translational research training to foster the next generation of IDD researchers. Our program is designed to provide trainees with a broad foundation of knowledge on IDD (e.g., prevalence, etiology, and presentation), the impact of race/ethnicity, cultural, and socio-economic status on issues pertaining to IDD, research ethics, how to conduct rigorous and replicable science, and professional development related to obtaining research funding and competencies needed in leadership positions. In addition, through intensive research mentorship by program faculty, our trainees learn the methodological and analytic practices to develop their own independent lines of research. Finally, through the development of an individual development plan, and ongoing feedback from program faculty, trainees establish specific and measurable research and professional goals and a plan for achieving these goals during the two-years. The training program has three Specific Aims: 1. To provide postdoctoral trainees with the knowledge base and research methods to generate new knowledge about social-affective, cognitive and communicative, and family components of IDD. 2. To provide broad training in which we expose trainees to various theoretical perspectives, methodological approaches, substantive areas, developmental periods, and a translational science perspective. 3. To provide trainees with a solid foundation in research ethics and professional development necessary to launch their own independent careers carrying out research on IDD. Support for this program will ensure that a next generation of scientists is equipped to advance research on IDD and associated conditions through various theoretical perspectives, methodological approaches, substantive areas, developmental periods, and a translational science/public health perspective.