Communicative Disorders

Project Summary/Abstract
This application is for a continuing institutional grant designed to provide research training in the area of
communication disorders and sciences, for three predoctoral and one postdoctoral trainees per year. Hands-on
apprenticeship training is provided in three interrelated areas: (1) Hearing Science; Hearing Disorders; (2)
Language Science; Language Disorders and Disabilities; (3) Speech, Swallowing, and Voice Science; Speech,
Swallowing, and Voice Disorders. Nineteen active researchers in the Department of Speech, Language, and
Hearing Sciences will serve as the participating faculty. These individuals routinely collaborate on projects that
cut across these research areas. Advanced coursework will be taken; however, the main purpose of the
training program is to provide intensive interactive research experience leading toward the establishment of
successful independent clinical investigators. The proposed program focuses especially on the recruitment and
training of individuals with a basic science background who wish to pursue research careers in communication
disorders, and individuals with a primarily clinical background whose prior research training was minimal. Along
with the laboratory research experience, trainees will gain grant experience through a required research grant
writing course and the preparation of F31/F32/R21 fellowship applications. Both predoctoral and postdoctoral
trainees will be funded for two years. Predoctoral students will be funded before and after their two-year
training grant funding through university fellowships, their major advisors’ R01 grants, and, if awarded,
individual F31 fellowships. The structure and emphasis of the proposed program should help to address the
critical shortage of active and successful researchers in the field of communication disorders and related
areas.

Grant Number: 5T32DC000030-34
NIH Institute/Center: NIH
Principal Investigator: Arielle Borovsky