TRAINING CLINICAL RESEARCHERS FOR COMMUNITY SETTINGS

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The aim of this proposal, Training Clinical Researchers for Community Settings (TRECOS), is to train clinicians to conduct high quality clinical research, that can be undertaken in primary care and community settings that provide access to representative populations. The lead department for this application is the Department of Epidemiology in the College of Human Medicine at Michigan State University, but all five biomedical colleges, including colleges of osteopathic and veterinary medicine, nursing, and natural sciences, are participants in this effort. The community-based nature of medical and nursing education at our land-grant university makes MSU uniquely placed to train clinicians to become investigators capable of initiating broadly generalizable clinical research. We plan to enroll eight trainees per year for a two-year program which will include a core curriculum in epidemiology, biostatistics and research ethics; a supervised mentorship program providing access to more than forty faulty members in the five colleges with major research projects; a special seminar series; and a requirement for further coursework to complete a certificate program or masters degree in one of a number of disciplines relevant to clinical research. For most trainees, we envision completion of a newly developed 18-credit certificate program in clinical epidemiology and biostatistics, aimed at health professionals, and which provides the academic skills necessary for effective clinical research. The program is led by the Chair of the Department of Epidemiology, who is a clinician/investigator with considerable experience in developing clinical research, in teaching clinical research skills and in involving clinicians in research. Also involved is a faculty member from our Office of Medical Education, Research and Development, long one of the nation's leading centers of research in medical education effectiveness and evaluation of medical educational programs. Faculty members from a wide variety of departments, with research interests ranging from infant health to care of the elderly, and including strong and well-funded research programs in reproductive perinatal epidemiology, cancer research biostatistical methods and communicable diseases have agreed to volunteer their time to serve as mentors in this effort.