Research Training at New England College of Optometry

申请者描述(由申请者提供)：本学院为从这里和其他地方的OD项目中挑选出来的十名学生提供第二期为期五年的暑期研究培训奖学金。该培训的目的是帮助学生对什么是研究有强烈的认识：如何从实验室的实践活动以及临床和现场观察中获得证据；如何改进、检验和接受或拒绝理论。受训者不仅应该更好地了解他们所在的领域，并有能力判断基于研究的索赔的质量，而且一些人将选择根据自己的经验从事研究事业。奖学金的申请是通过当地的宣传以及发送给各个学院的信息来征求的。受训者是根据优秀的学术成绩，特别是在硬科学方面的成绩和推荐来挑选的。根据共同的兴趣，每个人都被分配到导师的实验室/项目中。导师在研究的所有方面指导受训者，是受训者的主要倡导者和评估者。这12位导师都是经验丰富的研究人员，他们正在进行的研究要么由国家眼科研究所资助，要么来自其他来源。他们的工作范围从解剖学及其病理学，到 病理生理学、药理学、生物化学和自身免疫性疾病。近视和正视化是许多导师的中心主题，涉及生理光学和流行病学方法的动物模型和人类研究都在探索这一主题。一个由所有受训人员参加的研究研讨会将持续整个夏季。这个研讨会将首先让学员了解学院内正在进行的研究。它将包括关于研究伦理的讲座，关于使用人类受试者的限制和考虑，以及关于使用动物受试者的单独讲座。研讨会还将包括关于统计在研究中的使用和数据分析的章节，从而导致对研究设计的审议。该学院拥有强大的基础设施支持和资金支持，以满足试点研究需求。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Support is requested for a second period of five years of Summer Research Training Fellowships at this College for ten students selected from OD programs here and elsewhere. The goal of this training is to help the student gain a strong sense of what research is: how evidence is gained from the hands-on activities of the laboratory and from clinical and field observations; how theories are advanced, tested, and accepted or rejected. Trainees should not only gain a greater understanding of their field and an ability to judge the quality of research-based claims, but some will opt to pursue research careers on the basis of their experiences. Applications for the fellowships are solicited by local publicity as well as information sent to the various colleges. Trainees are selected on the basis of strong academic records, particularly in the hard sciences, and recommendations. Each one is assigned to the laboratory/project of a mentor on the basis of common interests. The mentor guides the trainee in all aspects of research and is her/his primary advocate and evaluator. The twelve mentors are all experienced investigators with on-going research funded either by the National Eye Institute or other source. Their work ranges from anatomy and its pathologies, to pathophysiology, pharmacology, biochemistry, and autoimmune disease. Myopia and emmetropization are central themes for a number of mentors and is pursued with both animal models and human studies involving physiological optics and epidemiological methods. A research seminar attended by all trainees continues through the summer. This seminar will initially acquaint the trainees with the on-going research within the College. It will include lectures on the ethics of research, constraints and considerations on the use of human subjects and separate lectures on the use of animal subjects. The seminar will also include sections on the use of statistics in research and data analysis leading to a consideration of research design. This College has strong infrastructural supports and fund support for pilot research needs.