Pediatric Endocrinology Research Training Grant

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The Pediatric Endocrinology Research Training Program at the University of Chicago will train pediatric physician-scientists in the investigation of endocrine diseases. This training program will help fill the national shortage of physician-scientists in the area of pediatric endocrinology. Four research training slots are requested so that two trainees can be entered annually into a two-year research training program. Thus, this program is for trainees who have had introductory laboratory and course work in their initial year of pediatric endocrinology training and have developed a research project to which they are prepared to dedicate 80% effort for the two-year training period. The training is based in a newly combined Pediatric-Adult Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism unit, the Institute for Endocrine Discovery and Clinical Care. The Senior Training Faculty numbers 15 investigators from four University departments (Medicine, Pediatrics, Human Genetics, Health Studies) who carry out a broad range of endocrine-related clinical and basic research supported by a substantial base of NIH and other peer-reviewed research grants. Each is an established investigator. In addition, the program is aided by the participation of 13 Associate Training Faculty from the Departments of Medicine, Pediatrics, Ob/Gyn and Health Studies. The University provides a rich environment of other faculty and physical resources. Trainees are selected on the basis of prior individual accomplishments including prior research training and experience as well as commitment to an academic research career. Trainees select a basic and clinical research mentor and an advisor, and the trainee and mentors jointly identify a primary and secondary research project. Trainees then undergo at least 2 years of training in the research laboratory of the preceptor(s), during which time they assume a progressively greater responsibility for developing research hypotheses, designing experiments, analyzing the data and preparing abstracts and scientific manuscripts. In the final year of training, an area of research is identified which is sufficiently different from the research of the preceptor to allow the trainee to submit a peer-reviewed mentored research grant proposal. This research training occurs within the framework of a required core curriculum consisting of courses that describe and review current research methodology and research advances as well as statistical analysis of research data. The setting is one that emphasizes translational research and timely monitoring of trainee progress.