CTSA Postdoctoral T32 at Indiana University

The CTSA Postdoctoral T32 at Indiana University will create and retain a highly qualified trainee workforce, by integrating mentor/mentee training with special emphasis on resiliency and how mentor/mentee backgrounds and experiences influence these interactions. We will engage our trainees in vertical mentoring and near-peer mentoring by utilizing our pipeline programs to foster our trainees’ mentoring skills and create lasting connections to foster resiliency and improve retention in STEM across our training cohorts. Program evaluations will include robust feedback mechanisms through which training experiences can be optimized for each trainee. Key elements in the development of mentee/mentor relationships will be the implementation of both IDPs and the AAMC mentor-mentee compacts, these will set the expectations for open communication and form the basis of our yearly evaluation of the growth in their mentored relationship. We will foster mentee training in responsible conduct of research and rigorous approaches to biomedical research as initial steps to building the knowledge base and competent skill sets that lead to scientific integrity and trustworthiness. We will create and provide training in critical communication skills that focus on building trust between mentors and mentees, as well as with those in the community with whom they engage. Our training plan will specifically leverage the individual trainee’s domain expertise, as well as the broad cross-institutional strengths within the Indiana CTSI to expand their core knowledge, which will facilitate the translation of their research project as they are further trained in translational science. Through this training our trainees will be able to implement principles of team research and process innovation as key elements in their research program. By utilizing the broad scope of translational programs available at Indiana University, Purdue University and the University of Notre Dame we will create cross-institutional experiential opportunities that will enable our trainees to cross system boundaries and provide a thorough exploration of career opportunities in biomedical research. This proposal will fund 3 Postdoctoral positions per year and draws 72 faculty from across our three CTSI partner institutions – Indiana University, Purdue University, and the University of Notre Dame.