NRSA Training Core

The purpose of the Penn NRSA Training Core is to enhance training in clinical translational science (CTS) to expedite the translation of scientific discovery into therapy and improve the quality of patient care. The mission of our TL1 program is to (i) recruit and train a next generation of CTS investigators who are equipped with the awareness, knowledge and skills necessary to successfully translate discoveries into clinical care, and (ii) to prepare them for a range of research careers. Penn’s TL1 program is designed to attract, train and support a diverse cohort of predoctoral trainees from graduate research programs (PhD, MD/PhD, VMD/PhD) and clinical training programs (MD, VMD, DMD) as well as postdoctoral research scientists (PhD) and clinicians (MD, VMD, DMD). Appointees enter their CTS training from various educational trajectories and with diverse expectations and career aspirations; for this reason the Penn TL1 is flexible and inclusive of cross-disciplinary coursework and/or completion of a graduate-level certificate or Master’s degree. Appointment durations vary between one year for predoctoral appointees and either one or 2-3 years for postdoctoral appointees. Predoctoral trainees will complete the TL1 with a solid understanding of the discipline and core competencies for performing CTS research. Postdoctoral trainees will have demonstrated CTS research independence in the form of publication in peer-reviewed literature, appointment to a mentored career development award or other independent grant funding and an academic or industry appointment with continued substantial engagement in CTS. Coupled with a dedicated mentoring program, the objectives of the TL1 program are based on the following: 1. (i) Continue to provide a comprehensive curriculum in discovery-, entrepreneurial-, and regulatory science, translational therapeutics, and biomedical informatics; (ii) expand coursework to include data- and implementation science, investigational pharmacy, and health care innovation; and (iii) continue to increase the awareness of CTS training opportunities to recruit high caliber trainees. 2. (i) Continue development efforts on professional skills training, and (ii) add programs to support postdoctoral trainees at points of transition and prepare postdoctoral PhDs for heterogenous career paths. 3. Develop skills-based workshops and labs for all TL1 trainees that are responsive to real-time innovations in science, shifting health priorities and rapidly evolving learner needs. 4. Expand opportunities for pre- and postdoctoral trainees to immerse themselves in projects at the academic- industry interface through the creation of shared training programs so that they may partake in real-world scenarios of innovation being reduced to practice.