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）的应用程序，是直接响应蓝丝带小组的建议和NIDCR的培训计划。该计划被命名为得克萨斯大学颅面-口腔生物学研究培训计划，该计划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计划的基础上，该计划自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。它的主要使命是识别，招聘，培训和留住牙科教师谁可以成为独立的调查人员与终身学习和协作技能需要解决颅面和口腔研究的新兴机会。UT-TORCH利用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。它在各个方面都是全面的，综合的和跨学科的，并汇集了52名优秀和高度敬业的教师研究导师的核心，他们来自UT休斯顿的牙科分支，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以及MD安德森癌症中心，贝勒医学院和赖斯大学。研究培训通过跨越职业发展各个阶段的五个轨道的连续体提供。轨道I -暑期研究经验的短期计划，为预科牙科学生;轨道II -在生物医学科学计划的个人博士学位;轨道III -综合DDS/博士学位课程;轨道IV-博士后培训，为最近DDS毕业生，导致在生物医学科学博士学位和MS学位无论是临床研究，健康信息学或公共卫生。还为博士毕业生提供非学位奖学金培训;轨道V：牙科教师的短期研究培训。学员可以从三个研究重点领域选择项目（i）仿生学：发展，遗传学和生物工程（ii）分子病理学：免疫学，传染病和癌症（iii）面向患者的研究和健康信息学。一个高度创新和综合性的核心和学科特定的课程与期刊俱乐部，研讨会和研究座谈会的建议，以促进学生在各个学科之间的信息交流，并让每个学员获得批判性思维技能的广泛组合。密西西比大学牙科学院的学生和教师将通过正式的合作伙伴关系获得UT-TORCH提供的培训机会。这两个机构还将合作招聘少数民族申请人加入UT-TORCH。计划在另外两所德克萨斯牙科学校（圣安东尼奥UTHSC和达拉斯贝勒牙科学院）与T32学员一起开展活动。要求为该奖项第一年的23名高素质学员（8个全职职位）和两名DDS/博士候选人提供支持。UT-TORCH将由一个有凝聚力和经验丰富的教师团队管理：项目主任雷纳德苏扎博士和联合主任乔治斯坦塞尔博士将与由五名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轨道方面具有丰富经验的教师组成的内部咨询小组以及一个外部审查委员会将为UT-TORCH提供监督。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）在同行评审期刊上发表报告，及（e）通过德州大学休斯顿分校晋升及任期委员会的审查。强有力的机构支持存在这个新的牙科分支的奋进，旨在培养牙科院士颅面和口腔生物学研究为导向的职业生涯。

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.