Common Themes in Reproductive Diversity

Project Summary This proposal requests a third renewal of a highly successful T32 Institutional National Research Service Award to Indiana University, entitled “Common Themes in Reproductive Diversity” (CTRD). The award will support broadly integrative training in the areas of sexual reproduction and development. Training will focus on behavior in both humans and other animals and will address key questions in three related themes: (1) Developmental contributions to reproductive behavior, (2) Origins and expression of differences among the sexes, and (3) Interactions between sex, health, and disease. Indiana University's excellent support for research and its globally recognized strengths in animal behavior, endocrinology, human sexual health, and evolution of development will ensure high quality training. The 21 Training Faculty and 6 Affiliated Resource Faculty are drawn from 3 schools (Medical, Public Health, College of Arts and Sciences, including Ph.D. granting departments in the College (e.g., Anthropology, Biology, Gender Studies, Psychological and Brain Sciences) and 3 additional degree-granting programs (Medical Sciences, Neuroscience, and Cognitive Science). They are also associated with 1 or more of 5 research centers, most importantly the Center for the Integrative Study of Animal Behavior (CISAB), the Kinsey Institute for Research on Sex, Gender and Reproduction, and the Center for Genomics and Bioinformatics. Support is requested for five years to enable training of 4 predoctoral and 2 postdoctoral students each year to be drawn from a deep pool of talented applicants. In addition to course work in the fundamentals and intensive research training, trainees will participate in (1) a research-based course focused on Concepts in Reproductive Diversity, (2) an interdisciplinary, hands-on methods course, Techniques in Reproductive Diversity, a 3) a Research Ethics course, and 4) a Professional development course all co-taught by the training faculty and enhanced by invited distinguished visiting scientists. Active participation in a monthly breakfast research forum and other opportunities will allow trainees to accomplish important professional training including creating individual development plans (IDPs), preparing for more than one career outcome, and enhancing the reproducibility and transparency of their research. Trainees will also organize and present research at a highly successful and broadly attended CISAB conference. Predoctoral trainees will be drawn from the most highly qualified applicants to the degree-granting programs of the Training Faculty. Postdoctoral trainees will be recruited nationally, will be chosen based on their accomplishments and the potential for CTRD training to broaden their skills and perspectives, and will be expected to foster research collaboration among CTRD trainees and laboratories. Intense effort will be made to enhance recruitment and retention of diverse trainees, to provide mentoring opportunities through a highly effective undergraduate program for underrepresented minorities, and to recruit and support individuals with disabilities or from disadvantaged backgrounds.