T32 Research Training in Diabetes and Endocrinology

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7. PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT This application is a competitive renewal of the training grant “Research Training in Diabetes and Endocrinology,” which would represent years 47-51 of the first, and longest-running, T32 grant at the University of Pittsburgh. The longevity is a testament to the success of the program in providing postdoctoral trainees with the research/career skills necessary for developing independent academic careers. Over that time period, the research landscape has changed dramatically, and this training program has adapted to complement the changes. One notable and relatively recent change is the increased complexity of medical research, requiring cross-discipline integration of research programs. This change necessitates that researchers operate in an environment that provides a thorough grounding in the translational focus of medical research. Added to this is the need for ever greater competency in the ancillary skills that are required to complement the core research skills – including project, group, and multi-team collaboration management, grant writing, public presentations, transitioning to independence, and others. Historically, these skills were often learned ‘on the fly’, but now require a more structured approach. During the current cycle of the program we have worked assiduously to implement such a program, which we believe has resulted in great success and outcomes. Thus, our trainees are continuously immersed through hands-on-mentoring, peer-to-peer interactions, research experiences, didactic classes, education workshops, and presentation opportunities in a truly integrated translational research training program. At a practical level, this is reflected in (i) outstanding research opportunities that are centered on three research hubs (basic, clinical, and public health/epidemiology); (ii) exceptional training faculty with expertise in basic, clinical, and public health/epidemiology research; (iii) access to a range of didactic courses, workshops, and educational experiences, including masters and certificate programs, that buttress and complement research opportunities and, in many cases, emphasize translational themes; (iv) structured career development courses that impart skills ranging from managing group projects to presentation skills, through the T32-to-K-to-R grant transition; (v) a continuous assessment program for trainees, reinforced by an Individual Career Development Plan, a 3-person mentoring team, and yearly progress evaluations by a Training Committee that focuses on the individualized professional development of trainees; and (vi) program management that oversees the ever-increasing complexity of research training in medical research, including internal and external advisory boards. Our expectation over the next cycle of the training program is that we will continue to train 4 postdoctoral fellows per year, with a mix of MDs and PhDs, and will offer two to three years of support to each trainee. At the time of writing, 11 trainees have been supported by the training program in the 2016-2021 cycle, and 8 have graduated (3 are still in training). Seven graduates applied for, or received, competitive grant funding, 7 graduates remain active in research careers, and 3 obtained faculty positions. Nineteen first author peer-reviewed publications were produced (43 total peer-reviewed publications), and 27 first author abstracts were presented at national scientific meetings. All 8 graduates published at least one first author original research manuscript. Eighteen grants were submitted and 11 were funded. These metrics represent concrete and categorical evidence of the continued success of our training program.