Developing Experts in Computation, 'Omics and Data Exploration (DECODE) Training Program

About This Grant

Abstract Biomedical research is increasingly shaped by high-throughput and multi-omic approaches that generate massive, complex datasets. However, most entering PhD students lack foundational skills in computational biology, bioinformatics, and data science, creating a widening gap between research needs and workforce readiness. The DECODE training program at the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) directly addresses this challenge by embedding rigorous computational training from the very start of graduate education. DECODE is unique among T32 programs in supporting six predoctoral trainees during their first two years of doctoral study, ensuring that computational fluency becomes a core foundation of their graduate careers. Participants are drawn from seven doctoral tracks within UNMC’s Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Biomedical Sciences and mentored by over 53 faculty across 17 departments. The training plan integrates statistics, programming, bioinformatics, and systems biology, paired with team-based projects on real-world datasets from public repositories (e.g., GEO, TCGA, ENCODE). This training progresses into advanced applications in machine learning and AI, combined with leadership opportunities in teaching, mentoring, and hosting bootcamps. Rigor and reproducibility, data stewardship, responsible conduct of research, project management, team science, scientific writing, and communication are skills focused on and embedded throughout the activities. After year 2, trainees will have tangible outcomes direct from the program, including peer-reviewed cohort manuscripts, open-source pipelines, and software tools that serve both their dissertation research and the broader community. Metrics for program success include interdisciplinary publications, external fellowships, presentations, and placement outcomes compared to the broader student pool. DECODE is a training program that targets trainees at a critical juncture, before they have decided on a specialization. The result is a cohort of team-oriented scientists prepared to advance biomedical discovery through computational biology, bioinformatics, and biomedical data science, directly aligning with the NIGMS mission to build a versatile and data-driven biomedical research workforce.