Training Program in Research on Black Child Development

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DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The Training Program in Research on Black Child Development seeks to prepare highly selected predoctoral students and postdoctoral fellows in psychology and related disciplines for distinguished careers in behavioral research focusing on African American children and families. Support for 4 predoctoral students and 2 postdoctoral fellows each year for a 5-year period is requested. The impetus for the program is the acute need for well-trained scientists who will advance knowledge about development in African American children. Because the program will train both ethnic minority and non-minority graduate students and postdoctoral fellows, it will serve the critical needs for a continuing supply of well trained scientists equipped to pursue innovative and exemplary research and a better representation of ethnic minority scientists in behavioral research. The program is structured to achieve several complementary goals: (a) to equip trainees with expertise in diverse research methodologies, especially longitudinal methods, and their application to the behavioral study of African American children and families; (b) to promote broad, multidisciplinary, and multi-level perspectives on African American children's socioemotional and psychoeducational development, health-related behaviors, and physical well being; (c) to foster competence in research strategies that enhance the cultural sensitivity and validity of research with African American populations; (d) to develop skills in addressing ethical issues, especially those prone to arise in research with ethnic minority and poor children and parents; and (e) to promote understanding of the application of developmental research to issues of practice and policy. Training of each predoctoral student and postdoctoral fellow will extend over a 2-year period. Predoctoral trainees typically will begin the program upon entry into graduate study in Developmental Psychology and the child/family subspeciality area of Clinical Psychology in the Department of Psychology at UNC-Chapel Hill. All trainees will receive research training through (a) active participation in supervised research in the laboratory of training faculty in Psychology and the Center for Developmental Science, (b) participation in advanced seminars and workshops focusing on ethnic minority research issues and populations, human development, developmental methodology, and policy issues, and (c) involvement in national professional meetings and summer institutes.