Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine Research Training Grant

The University of Washington (UW) T32 program trains scientists to perform clinically-relevant research in pulmonary and critical care medicine. We request 7 slots to support trainees as part of a 4-year combined ACGME clinical and research training program. We focus primarily on physician-scientists who conduct research across the translational continuum, from biological pre-clinical research in the laboratory to clinical research. An interdisciplinary approach prepares trainees for academic careers characterized by independently funded research and a commitment to training. The program is distinguished by the quality and expertise of the training faculty, our commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion and recruitment of underrepresented individuals, a structured approach to mentoring including culturally aware mentoring, and the integration of multiple disciplines and diverse research methodologies leading to outstanding success in training independent scientists. Research training is conducted through two primary pathways: Pre-Clinical Research and Clinical Research. Within each pathway, experienced and committed mentors provide a rich range of research opportunities; research works-in-progress groups expose the trainee to a broad range of methodologies and research topics; and didactic course work enriches the research training experience. The Pre-Clinical Research pathway provides trainees with the opportunity to master a wide variety of cutting-edge research methodologies and can accommodate exceptional post-doctoral PhD trainees as well as physician-scientists. The Clinical Research pathway generally includes completion of a master's degree in either the Department of Epidemiology or Health Services at the UW School of Public Health. Our success in training scientists is founded on a highly structured, yet flexible process to aid trainees in selecting research mentors and projects and guide them through the mentoring process. We have developed and articulated core principles of mentoring that are used to guide and evaluate training, and formal mentoring committees support and track the fellows' progress. A series of evaluation metrics monitor the progress of the trainees, mentors, and program leadership. Through a commitment to systematic appraisal, assessment of scientific advances and trainee needs, the training program continues to evolve, with three new initiatives proposed in this renewal focused on 1) training in health equity research; 2) enhancing trainee career development; and 3) augmenting scientific networking and community. These initiatives are informed by trainee feedback and responsive to challenges in training and career development that have been exacerbated by the pandemic. Over the past 15 years, we have retained 69% of our trainees in primarily research or research-related positions, and our trainees have a substantially higher success rate for F and K awards compared to available data on other DLD-supported T32 programs. Our thoughtfully structured training program is creative, innovative, and dynamic, and is highly successful in training individuals for academic scientific careers in pulmonary and critical care medicine.