Project Summary/Abstract
Over the last 15 years, the Michigan Institute for Clinical & Health Research (MICHR) has supported a diverse
group of predoctoral PhD and professional degree trainees through programs that provide the foundation for
productive translational research and science careers. These trainees come to us from one of the University of
Michigan's (U-M) 11 Schools and Colleges (including Medicine, Dentistry, Pharmacy, Public Health, Nursing,
Social Work, Kinesiology, and Engineering), as well as numerous programs outside of U-M, including more
than 20 Historically Black Colleges & Universities, Hispanic Serving Institutions, or Tribal Colleges &
Universities as identified by the United States Department of Education. Program graduates have authored
more than 1500 scientific publications and lead research programs supported by $17.5M in extramural grant
support, with greater than 70% remaining engaged in science. MICHR's new T32 program is particularly strong
in its robust evaluation and adherence to foundational programmatic elements, which include competency-
based education, formal assessment of research skills, mentor training and regular mentor meetings, regular
use of individual development plans, and education in team science, scientific rigor, and the responsible
conduct of research. Our program is supported by an outstanding group of scientific mentors with more than
$99M in extramural funds, who welcome our T32 trainees into their highly successful multidisciplinary and
collaborative research programs. The MICHR T32 in translational science will recruit diverse cohorts of
trainees who are early in a health-related PhD program with support for two to three years, or professional
students wishing to take a year out from their education to receive translational science training. This new
program will build on the foundation set by our previous successful TL1 and leverage the unique strengths of
U-M to respond to evolving trainee needs and emerging trends in translational research and science. Broadly,
our T32 program's thematic areas of focus will fully integrate with MICHR's vision and thematic focus through
the following Aims: 1) Provide T32 trainees with precision preparation to further their translational research
skills; 2) strengthen the scientific social networks of T32 trainees to further their translational research pipeline
engagement; 3) develop T32 trainees who are versatile communicators to advance their evolving careers. The
expected outcomes of the MICHR predoctoral T32 in translational science will result in the implementation of
new training opportunities that democratize education and facilitate trainee pathways to independence by
providing flexible, personalized training options. Our new initiatives will strengthen our trainees' scientific social
networks for greater career development and enhance communication skills while also providing more
opportunities to access MICHR and U-M resources, allowing us to build and retain strong cohorts of next-
generation translational research and translational science team leaders.