CTSA Predoctoral T32 at Columbia University

About This Grant

For approximately 20 years, the Irving Institute for Clinical and Translational Research (Irving Institute) acting as a NCATS-funded Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA) hub, provided training at the predoctoral level, graduating 87 trainees. The overarching goal of the Irving Institute's T32 is to select pre-doctoral trainees from across the broad spectrum of medicine, other health sciences, and basic sciences at Columbia University and prepare them to be leaders of the next generation of clinical and translational investigators. Our T32 has innovative distinguishing features in its disease agnostic approach to recruitment and enrollment of trainees. Because our program will be within our CTSA Program hub, trainees participate in didactic and experiential activities alongside scholars in our K and Master of Science programs. To continue our legacy of training with a central role in advancing models campus-wide, we propose focus on precision translational biomedical health. that leverages the translational scientist characteristics and precision biomedical education for this application. This aligns with and complements NCATS' inclusion of translational science principles in its mission to turn biomedical research discoveries into health solutions. We propose a customized, tailored approach in training and content that supports the mission of developing treatment and interventions for all at the individual and community levels. The T32 includes innovative programming, such as coursework related to career development, n of 1 dense phenotyping to big data analytics, multi-level systems (cells to communities), team science, dissemination and implementation science, and interdisciplinary grant writing; while in parallel developing a deep knowledge of their field developing through their doctoral program. Our goals are founded on our learning research systems and include to: 1) Identify gaps, barriers, and opportunities in training and mentorship that support the T32 trainees and program to foster clinical and translational science and its principles. 2) Develop and refine new components of our training program to provide customized, tailored training and mentorship to enhance the ability of our trainees to engage in scientific inquiry, addressing unmet needs that benefit our patients and communities. 3) To Demonstrate the effectiveness of the T32 program through continuous comprehensive and systematic evaluation and quality improvement. 4) Accelerate Dissemination of our training and mentorship approaches across Columbia, the regional tri-state consortium of CTSA hubs, the national CTSA network, and the field at large. By increasing knowledge of precision translational biomedical health, we will build a workforce that will apply this lens in how they see the world and advance their science—contributing to the mission of our CTSA hub to leverage clinical and translational discoveries to positively impact the health of our patients, communities, and the nation. Our goals align with the NCATS mission to catalyze the next generation of innovative methods and technologies to enhance development, testing, and implementation of diagnostics and therapeutics across various human conditions.