NRSA Training Core

The Vanderbilt-Meharry Edge for Scholars NRSA Core is an interdisciplinary, translational research training program invigorated by group activities that intentionally mix non-clinical and clinical trainees across disciplines and levels of training (TL1 and KL2). We offer a uniquely collaborative culture with a thriving research enterprise and our approach serves to connect, enlarge, and sustain our community of translational scientists. This model is responsive to calls for changing how the next generation of researchers is trained to drive translational endeavors and to excel in team science. Unlike traditional T32s, our selection of trainees is not constrained by discipline, graduate programs, or disease focus.

Building on varied research backgrounds of trainees, we incorporate experiences to foster emergence of new interdisciplinary teams—which is proving effective. Pre- and postdoctoral trainees are selected by competitive review from a large pool of applicants. Training is individually tailored in the context of structured mentorship and progress is carefully monitored by the PI (Bastarache) and Co-Director (Edwards). Activities include interdisciplinary mentor panel meetings, work-in-progress groups, Bench-to-Bedside Rounds, near-peer mentoring, writing workshops, and pragmatic career development seminars.

This program will serve 10 TL1 trainees, seven pre-doctoral and three postdoctoral, for up to five and three years respectively. In addition to conducting mentored research as part of an established transdisciplinary team and pursuing their academic course of studies if applicable, trainees will craft Pathways that combine 42 contact hours (not credits) of didactic, intensive, and experiential learning. These are anchored in several key areas: Biostatistics & Epidemiology, Data Sciences, Clinical Context (for non-clinical scholars), Learning Healthcare System, Measurement Methods, and Technology Transfer & Innovation. Individualized components of pathways build key translational competencies, yet are flexible and allow extensive individual tailoring to best match prior training and future career directions of the trainee.

Our program benefits from integration within a CTSA hub in a medical center that ranks 5th in overall NIH funding, conducts cutting-edge research, provides top-flight graduate education, and has strong synergy across the TL1 and KL2 awards. We provide trainees an abundance of research cores and unique models for expert guidance like Studios, Biostatistics Clinics, REDCap Data Management courses, a library of funded grants, internal study sections, and much more. Tools are in place to evaluate both trainees and mentors over time and to continuously enhance the program. Oversight is provided by an Advisory Committee and external site visitors.

We work extensively with other CTSAs and have built collaborative resources shared nationally. In summary, we foster excellence to inspire careers dedicated to interdisciplinary translational science and to prepare future leaders of high performing scientific teams.

Grant Number: 5TL1TR002244-09
NIH Institute/Center: NIH
Principal Investigator: Julie Bastarache