KUH-ART: Advanced Research Training in Kidney disease, Urology and Hematology

NETWORKING CORE: PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT The overarching objective of the KUH-ART Networking Core is to bring together all NIH-funded trainees (Kidney/Urology/Hematology) for formal and informal opportunities to learn, communicate, interact, and collaborate in a vibrant scientific community. This Core’s responsibilities are twofold, to: 1) ensure the development of key infrastructure and operations that will provide peer networking and outreach; and 2) support ongoing communication and events across the range of NIH trainees and activities of KUH-ART TL1 and facilitate access to all Professional Development and Training Core programs. The Specific Aims are: Specific Aim 1. To establish a digital platform to facilitate learning and social networking across all trainee levels. After a review of available components for a learning platform, we propose to develop our system around two robust software packages: Canvas (for repository building), and Slack (an integrated messaging tool). This foundation will create a virtual community for KUH-ART trainees, fostering communication that is driven by the trainees themselves. We will plan to work with other funded U2C sites to reach consensus towards a shared digital platform architecture to link trainees across our sites. Specific Aim 2. To facilitate communication between KUH-ART trainees and their mentors to promote long-term trainee engagement, commitment and professional accomplishment. Aligned closely with Professional Development Core efforts, we will use networking opportunities to facilitate career development, including alumni and other key individuals that will foster trainees’ biomedical research insights and trajectories in different ways (e.g., academic; industry; government; non-governmental organizations). Specific Aim 3. To create a seamless path for communications across KUH-ART partner institutions and networking across external programs. Across existing programs at UCLA, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Charles Drew University, and the UCLA-Harbor Medical Center/Lundquist Institute, we will operationalize methods to streamline communications, activities, content curation and delivery for sharing within our KUH-ART network. Trainees will be able to interact, both online and in-person, with individuals within the UC2, as well as across other training programs. The successful implementation of this Networking Core will ensure that NIH-funded trainees in biomedical sciences will be connected, digitally and otherwise, in a community that fosters their learning, communication, mutual support, scientific growth, and career development.