Graduate Research Training Initiative for Student Enhancement (G-RISE) (T32) at Rutgers University-Newark

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ABSTRACT The mission of the proposed G-RISE Program is to increase the number of PhDs underrepresented in the diverse fields of Biology, Chemistry, Neuroscience and Psychology who will proceed to postdoctoral research fellowships/positions, on a trajectory to enter the biomedical/behavioral research workforce. To accomplish this goal, our main program objectives are: 1) to foster in each trainee: self-efficacy in their chosen specialty, self-identification as a research scientist, and the confidence that they are integral, contributing members of their scientific community; 2) to develop our trainees’ technical and professional skills required to conduct research in an ethically responsible and rigorous manner; 3) to develop our trainees’ didactic, research, mentoring, and career development skills; 4) to promote our trainees’ timely fulfillment of the institutional requirements for the Ph.D.; 5) to foster and facilitate each trainee’s appointment to a postdoctoral position in preparation for entering the biomedical/behavioral research workforce in their specialty. The rationale for the current G-RISE proposal is to build on the success of our current IMSD Program (24 PhDs in the last 3 grant cycles and 5 more expected this year) and take the opportunity to develop programmatic innovations within the G-RISE format. The following key activities comprise part of the design of the proposed G-RISE Program: 1) Research Communication Workshop to develop the trainees’ skills in communicating their scientific research to a multidisciplinary audience, 2) Fellowship Writing Workshop to foster a knowledge base to develop a fellowship application, 3) Research Career Preparation seminar series and 4) Responsible Conduct of Research and Research Reproducibility seminar series. A mentor-training component is included in the proposed G-RISE program with a healthy balance between established and early career investigators. The proposed program measurable outcomes are: 1) Earning the PhD degree; 2) Applying for at least one predoctoral fellowship, 3) Successfully vying for a postdoctoral research fellowship/position by the completion of the doctorate. Taken together, the proposed G-RISE Program will continue the development of a successful training program aimed at fostering the entrance of the trainees into fields of behavioral/biomedical research in which they have been traditionally underrepresented.