NRSA Training Core

The Institute of Translational Health Sciences (ITHS) TL1 training program has a long history of preparing University of Washington (UW) predoctoral investigators to become successful translational scientists. Since 2007, 131 individuals have completed the yearlong program and over 90% are still engaged in research or training. The experience brings together trainees from a broad range of scientific disciplines and varied expertise. Cohort-based learning emphasizes collaboration and teamwork, skills critical to interdisciplinary research. The curriculum, based on nationally developed translational science competencies, uses interactive educational methods that encourage trainees to think independently, and provides a shared learning experience rich in real- world examples of how translational science is conducted. Trainees complete a translational research project under the supervision of mentors from ITHS partner institutions and are guided by an individualized career development plan created with their mentor(s) and TL1 Program Directors, who are themselves experienced translational investigators. In the next 5 years, the ITHS TL1 program will be augmented in 2 significant ways: 1. Enhance the existing educational program through brief real-world practicums across the translational phases of development, demonstration, and dissemination. Trainees will select practicum opportunities such as participating in ITHS service consultations on research projects or following the development of an IRB protocol or intellectual property disclosure. Options will be tailored to trainees’ backgrounds, experience in related competencies, and career plans. Experiences will enhance translational science skills by helping trainees see classroom concepts in practice, exposing them to more disciplines and approaches, and observing an interdisciplinary team in action. 2. Adapt the UW TL1 program for the 5-state Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana, and Idaho region by establishing a TL1 cohort at Montana State University using a collaborative, hybrid educational model. Montana State is a robust academic research institution supported by substantial federal funding with programs in rural health equity, rural and tribal populations, and emerging infectious diseases. The proposed cohort brings together 12 TL1 predoctoral trainees at UW and 6 at Montana State in a bi-directional, joint training effort. Trainees will be linked via a virtual online learning platform, with faculty and staff from both sites offering training content in their respective areas of expertise. This expansion builds on existing and emerging collaborations between both institutions with experienced staff, directors, and resources needed to successfully train the next generation of translational research scientists. The established TL1 curriculum will ensure continued quality and rigor in training for all students, while the proposed new aims will reinforce learning through real-world application and expand training strengths and experiences through collaboration between UW and Montana State University faculty and students.