UT-H Comprehensive Research Training Program

描述（由申请人提供）：这是一个新的NRSA机构研究培训补助金（T32）申请，直接响应蓝带小组的建议和NIDCR的培训计划。该项目被命名为德克萨斯大学颅面口腔生物学研究培训项目，该项目与休斯顿健康科学中心（UT-TORCH）全面整合。UT-TORCH建立在我们成功的博士前牙科学生研究项目的基础上，该项目自1994年以来一直得到NIDCR健康专业学生短期研究培训补助金（T35）的支持。其主要任务是识别、招募、培训和留住能够成为具有终身学习和协作技能的独立研究者的牙科教师，以应对颅面和口腔研究领域的新机遇。UT-TORCH从一个高度多样化和研究密集型学术健康科学中心环境的丰富资源中汲取。它在各个方面都是全面的、综合的和跨学科的，汇集了52位杰出的、高度忠诚的教师研究导师，他们来自UT-Houston的牙科分院、生物医学科学研究生院、医学院、公共卫生学院和健康信息科学学院的现有项目，以及MD安德森癌症中心、贝勒医学院和莱斯大学。研究培训是通过跨越职业发展不同阶段的五个连续轨道提供的。议题一：牙科博士生暑期短期研究项目；Track II -个人生物医学博士学位课程；分会三：DDS/博士学位综合课程；Track IV- DDS近期毕业生的博士后培训，可获得生物医学科学博士学位和临床研究，健康信息学或公共卫生硕士学位。为博士毕业生提供非学位奖学金培训；议题五：牙科教员短期研究训练。学员可以从三个研究重点领域选择项目：（一）仿生学：发育、遗传学和生物工程；（二）分子病理学：免疫学、传染病和癌症；（三）面向病人的研究和保健信息学。建议采用高度创新和综合的核心和学科特定课程，包括期刊俱乐部、研讨会和研究专题讨论会，以促进不同学科学生之间的信息交流，并使每个学员获得广泛的批判性思维技能。密西西比大学牙科学院的学生和教师将通过正式合作伙伴关系获得UT-TORCH提供的培训机会。这两个机构还将在UT-TORCH招募少数族裔申请人方面进行合作。计划在另外两所德克萨斯牙科学校（圣安东尼奥大学牙科学院和达拉斯贝勒牙科学院）与T32学员一起开展活动。总共有23名高素质的受训人员（8名全职职位）和两名博士/博士候选人获得该奖项第一年的支助。UT-TORCH将由一群有凝聚力和经验丰富的教师管理：项目主任Rena D'Souza博士和联合主任George stanel博士将与由五位轨道协调员组成的指导小组密切合作。一个由在拟议的培训方面具有丰富经验的教员组成的内部咨询小组以及一个外部审查委员会将对UT-TORCH进行监督。UT-TORCH的研究生学员将能够(a)从有见地的角度解释新的科学信息，并以学术信誉进行教学(b)与学生和教师临床医生进行知识渊博的对话(c)在持续的NIH和其他校外支持的研究项目中领导尖端的颅面，牙科和口腔生物学研究(d)在同行评审的期刊上发表报告，以及(e)通过ut -休斯顿大学升职和终身教职委员会的审查。强有力的机构支持这一新的牙科分支努力，旨在为颅面和口腔生物学研究导向的职业培训牙科学者。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This is a new NRSA Institutional Research Training Grant (T32) application that is directly responsive to the recommendations of the Blue Ribbon Panel and the training initiatives of the NIDCR. The program is named the University of Texas Training Program in CraniofaciaI-Oral Biology Research that is Comprehensive and Integrated with the Health Science Center at Houston (UT-TORCH). UT-TORCH builds on our successful predoctoral dental student research program that has been supported by an NIDCR Short-Term Research Training Grant for Health Professional Students (T35) since 1994. Its primary mission is to identify, recruit, train, and retain dental faculty who can become independent investigators with the life-long learning and collaborative skills needed to address emerging opportunities in craniofacial and oral research. UT-TORCH draws from the enriched resources of a highly diverse and research-intensive academic health science center environment. It is comprehensive, integrative, and interdisciplinary in every respect and brings together a core of 52 outstanding and highly committed faculty research mentors from existing programs within the Dental Branch, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Medical School, School of Public Health, and the School of Health Information Sciences at UT-Houston as well as from MD Anderson Cancer Center, Baylor College of Medicine, and Rice University. Research training is offered through a continuum of five tracks that span various stages of career development. Track I - A short-term program of summer research experiences for predoctoral dental students; Track II - An individual PhD in Biomedical Sciences program; Track III - An integrated DDS/PhD degree program; Track IV- Postdoctoral training for recent DDS graduates that leads to a PhD in Biomedical Sciences and MS degrees in either Clinical Research, Health Informatics or Public Health. Non-degree fellowship training for PhD graduates is also offered; Track V: Short-term research training for dental faculty. Trainees can select projects from three research focus areas (i) Biomimetics: Development, Genetics, and Bioengineering (ii) Molecular Pathology: Immunology, Infectious Diseases, and Cancer (iii) Patient-oriented Research and Health Informatics. A highly innovative and integrative core and discipline-specific curriculum with journal clubs, seminars, and research symposia are proposed to facilitate an exchange of information among students in various disciplines and to allow each trainee to acquire a broad mix of critical thinking skills. Students and faculty at the University of Mississippi Dental School will have access to training opportunities provided by UT-TORCH through a formal partnership. The two institutions will also collaborate on the recruitment of minority applicants into UT-TORCH. Activities with T32 trainees at the two other Texas Dental Schools (UTHSC-San Antonio and Baylor College of Dentistry-Dallas) are planned. Support is requested for a total of 23 highly qualified trainees (8 full-time positions) and two DDS/PhD candidates for Year 1 of the award. UT-TORCH will be administered by a cohesive and experienced group of faculty: The program director, Dr. Rena D'Souza and co-director, Dr. George Stancel will work closely with the Steering Team composed of the five track coordinators. An internal advisory panel of faculty with extensive experience in the proposed tracks of training as well as an External Review Board will provide oversight for UT-TORCH. Graduate trainees of UT-TORCH will be able to (a) Interpret new scientific information from an insightful perspective and teach with scholarly credibility (b) Provide knowledgeable dialog with student and faculty clinicians (c) Lead cutting edge craniofacial, dental, and oral biology research in sustained NIH and other extramurally-supported research programs (d) Publish reports in peer-reviewed journals, and (e) Pass muster with UT-Houston promotion and tenure committees. Strong institutional support exists for this new Dental Branch endeavor that is designed to train dental academicians for craniofacial and oral biology research-oriented careers.