University of Utah Biomedical Informatics Training Grant

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Abstract The University of Utah will further its mission of educating the next generation of our diverse biomedical workforce, capable of advancing health science and practice by the application of informatics to research and discovery, and by building effective collaborative partnerships. In this renewal application of our internationally recognized NLM T15 training program for years 26-30, we outline the plan for continued adaption and evolution of our program to a rapidly changing scientific environment yet tailored to the needs of each trainee. We provide a strong informatics foundation and a mission that builds on four focus areas: Health Care/Clinical Informatics, Clinical Research Informatics, Public Health Informatics, and Translational Bioinformatics. Woven through these focus areas are strong methodology tracks and focus research threads. UofU Department of Biomedical Informatics and our partners, Intermountain Healthcare and the regional Veterans Administration Medical Center, are national leaders in Informatics as well as supported by relationships with the Utah Department of Health, twelve partner clinics in underserved communities, and a statewide nonprofit health information exchange (UHIN). These environments, together with the instruction of the responsible conduct of research and methods for enhancing reproducibility, provide ample opportunities to practice team science through hands-on integrated learning activities, applications, and practicum-based courses in the curriculum that greatly enhances the impact and rigor of the program. This ensures our trainees will be fully equipped with the requisite command of theory, mastery of skills, and deep knowledge base required to drive interdisciplinary projects forward. The aims of our training program are: 1. Provide a rigorous and customizable curriculum, giving each trainee both the necessary foundation and the specialized education under the guidance of exceptional mentors to enable an innovative and productive research career in biomedical informatics; 2. Recruit trainees nationally and internationally with a special emphasis on attracting women and underrepresented minorities to enrich diversity in the field of biomedical informatics in Utah and beyond; 3. Ensure a solid grounding in the responsible conduct of research and a dedication to scientific rigor; 4. Provide a comprehensive research environment and culture of inclusivity, with the broadest possible variety of resources for faculty and students, to encourage creativity and rigor in their research; and perform continued and comprehensive evaluation of the program involving trainees, faculty, our Industry Advisory Board, and our External Advisory Board. The requested trainees (8 pre-, 4 post- doctoral) will participate in a 4-year program of research, didactic coursework, and professional development. The 22 mentors represent a range of interdisciplinary informaticians and will grow as the newly appointed DBMI chair (Dr. Yves Lussier) exercises his startup fund.