The Louisiana Center for Advancing Uplifting Scientists Careers in Health, Nutrition, Obesity, and Diabetes Research (LAUNCHED) - It is increasingly recognized that early-stage investigators (ESIs) are important to academic productivity. Chronic diseases continue to contribute to decreased quality of life, morbidity, and mortality. Early-stage investigators are the pipeline that will drive innovation in chronic disease, including as it relates to nutrition, obesity, and/or diabetes. In order for ESIs to make a sustained impact on issues relevant to the National Institute for Diabetes, Digestive, and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), they must be able to obtain federal grant funding. The Louisiana Center for Advancing and Uplifting Scientists Careers in Health, Nutrition, Obesity, and Disparities Research (LAUNCHED) will develop a comprehensive program of recruitment, mentoring, training, and career development to increase the success rate of ESIs competing for federal research funding. The LAUNCHED proposal is a collaboration among several institutions with existing working relationships. The project will be led by investigators from Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Baton Rouge, LA, along with Tulane University, Louisiana State University (LSU) A&M, LSU Health Sciences Center New Orleans (LSUHSC-NO), Xavier University of Louisiana, and Southern University. Three cohorts of ESIs (cohort members) will be recruited, and will include 10-20 mentees who will each spend 2 years in the program. Pennington Biomedical is home to several obesity and diabetes related center grants, which will work synergistically with the LAUNCHED program to provide a comprehensive training program for the cohort members. The center grant infrastructure will allow the LAUNCHED program to provide cohort members with mentorship, grant writing opportunities, didactic instruction in nutrition and diabetes, and a Pilot and Feasibility program. There will also be several components that are tailored to the specific needs of ESIs. The LAUNCHED program will provide didactics on diabetes, obesity, and nutrition. Mentors will be educated on issues facing ESIs and will be provided with specific skills for working effectively with ESIs. Senior scientists conducting nutrition, obesity, and diabetes research will interact with cohort members in order to serve as role models and share strategies for academic success. Career coaching will be delivered by professional coaches with experience working with ESIs. Ultimately, the LAUNCHED program will provide a comprehensive and data-driven training program that will prepare ESIs to successfully compete for NIH grant funding related to nutrition, obesity, and diabetes research.
