Northwestern University Infectious Diseases Education and Science (NuIDeas)

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Project Summary This resubmission application requests a third cycle of support for the Northwestern University Infectious Diseases Education and Science (NuIDeas) Training Program. The goal of this program is to take advantage of the clinical and basic research expertise and resources available at Northwestern University to train MD and MD/PhD fellows in infectious disease translational research. This training program leverages the considerable clinical expertise of the Infectious Disease faculty with the long-standing basic science strengths in microbiology and immunology at Northwestern University, which together create a rich environment for translational research. Each trainee works with both a primary research mentor and a clinical co-mentor to enhance the translational aspects of the fellow's research experience. Excellence in research will be promoted by a training program consisting of an intensive research experience, the option to obtain a Master of Science degree in Clinical Investigation, seminars, career development programs, and education in the ethical conduct of research. One highly qualified MD or MD/PhD fellow is chosen each year for a two-year intensive research experience. Furthermore, the Feinberg School of Medicine has funded a second trainee slot, such that a total of two new trainees have been and will continue to be enrolled into the program each year. To date, the NuIDeas Program has been highly successful. Eleven fellows were appointed to the NIH-funded slots. Of the nine who have finished training in NuIDeas, seven now hold academic infectious disease appointments, five of which have protected research time. During the third cycle of funding, we propose several innovations, including a multifaceted focus on diversity, the addition of a novel research training exercise to bridge bedside to bench discoveries, an apprenticeship program to train the next generation of NuIDeas leaders, a post- NuIDeas program to provide an additional year of research training, and an expansion of the panel of mentors to better match research opportunities to the interests of the fellows. This program will position trainees to assume leadership positions in research and education at a critical time during which COVID-19 and other global infectious disease threats are coupled with a shrinking pool of infectious disease subspecialists.