Virginia Commonwealth University IRADCA

描述(由申请人提供)：生物医学研究的未来取决于能否获得一批训练有素的科学家，他们有能力应对21世纪的研究挑战。培养这一人才的第一步是拥有一支热情、雄心勃勃、富有创造力的教育工作者队伍，他们有能力接触他们的学生，激励他们追求研究事业。确定和培训这些教育工作者的挑战是严峻的，特别是在为少数族裔服务的机构中，这些机构往往缺乏吸引最优秀和最聪明的年轻教育工作者所需的资源和研究基础设施。由于博士后培训通常侧重于研究培训，潜在的教育工作者往往面临着培养教学技能和研究组合的挑战，这些技能和研究组合是教师职位竞争所必需的。VCU-IRACDA计划旨在解决这两个问题。该计划有两个主要目标。首先，通过对博士后研究员进行尖端研究和教育学方面的培训，让他们为担任教职做好准备。VCU IRACDA学员将在VCU资金充足的导师的指导下进行研究，并将在我们合作的少数族裔服务机构之一(弗吉尼亚联合大学、弗吉尼亚州立大学和伊丽莎白城州立大学)体验教学实践培训。VCU IRACDA的第二个目标是通过开发课程和为学生和教师提供研究机会来增强我们合作机构的研究“文化”。这些目标将通过以下具体目标来实现：(1)确定至少20名合格的申请者，每年招募3名优秀的博士后研究员参加VCU-IRACDA项目；(2)为VCU-IRACDA博士后研究员提供研究和教学方面的强化培训；(3)通过在当前研究趋势和方法方面具有坚实基础的课程，加强我们合作机构的课程设置，以提高学生和教师对与研究相关的职业的相关知识和兴趣；以及(4)对VCU-IRACDA博士后实习生和合作机构的本科生和教职员工实施严格的评估和跟踪制度。 相关性：我们意识到，单一的计划不能确保21世纪的生物医学研究队伍将反映我们国家日益多样化的情况。然而，凭借我们敬业的培训人员团队、全面和严格的培训方案以及我们现在拥有并将继续招聘的博士后学员人才库，我们相信VCU IRACDA有潜力为这一努力做出重大贡献。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The future of biomedical research depends on access to a diverse pool of well-trained scientists who are equipped to tackle the research challenges of the 21st century. The first step in generating this pool is to have a cadre of enthusiastic, ambitious, and creative educators who have the capacity to reach out to their students and inspire them to pursue careers in research. The challenge of identifying and training these educators is acute, particularly at minority serving institutions that often lack the resources and research infrastructure necessary to attract the best and the brightest young educators. As postdoctoral training typically focuses on research training, potential educators often face the challenge of developing the teaching skills and research portfolio necessary to be competitive for faculty positions. The VCU-IRACDA program is designed to address both of these issues. The program has two major goals. The first is to prepare postdoctoral fellows for faculty positions by training them in both cutting edge research and pedagogy. VCU IRACDA Trainees will perform research with well-funded mentors at VCU and will experience hands-on training in teaching at one of our partner minority-serving institutions (Virginia Union University, Virginia State University and Elizabeth City State University). The second goal of VCU IRACDA is to enhance the research "culture" of our partner institutions, by developing courses and providing research opportunities for both students and faculty. These goals will be accomplished through the following specific aims: (1) Identify at least 20 qualified applicants and annually recruit 3 excellent postdoctoral fellows to the 3- year VCU-IRACDA program, (2) Provide VCU-IRACDA postdoctoral fellows with intensive training in research and teaching, (3) Enhance the curricular offerings at our partner institutions through courses with a strong foundation in current research trends and methodologies that will enhance relevant knowledge and interest in research related careers among students and faculty, and (4) Implement a rigorous evaluation and tracking system for longitudinal follow-up of VCU-IRACDA postdoctoral Trainees and the undergraduate students and faculty at partner institutions. RELEVANCE: We realize that a single program cannot ensure that the 21st century biomedical research workforce will reflect the increasing diversity of our nation. However, with our dedicated team of trainers, comprehensive and rigorous training regimen, and the talented pool of postdoctoral Trainees that we have and will continue to recruit, we believe that VCU IRACDA has the potential to make significant contributions to this effort.