New York Consortium for Interdisciplinary Training in Kidney, Urological and Hematological Research (NYC Train KUHR)

Abstract The overall goal of the Networking Core is to provide the infrastructure to support communication and men- toring for trainees supported directly through the TL1 training component of this award. In addition, the Net- working Core will play a key role in facilitating the Administrative, the Professional Development and the Train- ing Cores to implement their Specific Aims, and enable the development of interdisciplinary collaborations across the four Institutions of the consortium (Albert Einstein College of Medicine “Einstein”, Columbia Univer- sity Irving Medical Center “Columbia”, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai “Mount Sinai” and the Renais- sance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University “Stony Brook”). Through newly established local and na- tional outreach programs, we will develop awareness of the significant societal impact that KUH disease has on a patients’ well-being and highlight the opportunities to perform KUH research at our consortium. This ap- proach will ensure a pipeline of future investigators entering this rapidly expanding field. Furthermore, the Net- working Core will efficiently disseminate new results and technologies, promote mentoring and foster collabo- rations across the wider KUH research community, a critical imperative given the competitiveness of funding in current times and issues with rigor and reproducibility. In order to achieve these goals, the Networking Core will have four Specific Aims. Specific Aim 1 will establish virtual platforms facilitating trainee education and interaction. This will primarily be accomplished through an interactive website and use of social media platforms (such as Twitter). Specific Aim 2 will have as a goal developing and promoting inter-departmental crosstalk and team science. In conjunction with the Train- ing Core, established and novel educational tools will be harnessed to encourage interdisciplinary collabora- tions across the four Institutions of the consortium. Specific Aim 3 has the goal of building awareness of the opportunities to conduct KUH research and the training available at NYC Train KUHR to ensure a pipeline of future investigators entering the field. It will also employ tools that ensure alumni of the program remain con- nected to the program even after they leave. Specific Aim 4 will coordinate the dissemination of research re- sults and technology to improve scientific rigor and reproducibility. In sum, the Networking Core will foster a community between the trainees and faculty involved in NYC Train KUHR to increase knowledge, interdisciplinary interaction and familiarity with the various research pro- grams offered at each institution creating synergy between the four Institutions and a myriad of interdisciplinary collaborations of the consortium. These educational and networking activities will ensure that the four Institu- tions work together synergistically, and come together as a consortium that is far greater than the sum of its parts.