Developing Clinical Investigators in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology

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DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The fields of audiology and speech-language pathology are currently facing an acute shortage of Ph.D.- trained researchers to advance the scientific bases of clinical practice and to train future practitioners. The goals of this training program are 1) to attract the most highly qualified students in our graduate clinical training programs to the Ph.D. program and 2) to provide these students with the research training needed to pursue a successful research career that supports on the clinical aspects of communication disorders. Three students per year who are enrolled in the department's graduate clinical training programs for audiologists or speech-language pathologists will be recruited into the T32 Ph.D. training program. Students will complete a three year training period, the focus of which is the preparation of scientists with clinical credentials, who are prepared to conduct clinically-relevant research in audiology and speech pathology. The T32 training program is designed to integrate Ph.D.-level research-focused training with the requirements of the graduate clinical training programs. The program includes a strong emphasis on clinical research methods, mentored laboratory research experiences, grantsmanship, the ethical conduct of research, and teaching. Students will transition from the T32 to the department's regular doctoral program to complete their Ph.D. degree requirements, fully prepared for a research-oriented academic career. Relevance: This program will directly address the significant personnel shortage in the health-related professions of audiology and speech-language pathology by increasing the number of clinically trained researchers in these fields. The clinical research training of these individuals will position them to improve service delivery to individuals with communication disorders and to educate the next generation of clinicians.