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Principal Investigator: Lauren M Aleksunes
Organization: RUTGERS BIOMEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES
Fiscal Year: 2024
Award: $106,372
Funding agency: National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences
PROJECT SUMMARY
Creating a pathway for trainees to enter the clinical and translational science (CTS) workforce, including students
from backgrounds often underrepresented in STEM and CTS, requires early engagement while in training.
Addressing the needs of trainees at the forefront of their CTS education and stimulating CTS interest in historically
underrepresented student populations to foster the development of a diverse CTS workforce are central to the
efforts of the New Jersey Alliance for Clinical and Translational Science (NJ ACTS), the first and only CTSA Hub
in the state of New Jersey. Our R25 grant application, leveraging the resources of the parent UM1 Award, proposes
the creation of the NJ ACTS Clinician Research Experiential Summer Training (CREST) Program involving: A) a
mentored research and interprofessional training in clinical and translational science component for medical and
pharmacy students enrolled at Rutgers who are prime for early intervention as the number of physician-scientists
are in decline and there are limited nationwide programs for training pharmacist-scientists; and B) an outreach
component to stimulate interest, engage, and foster CTS for Rutgers undergraduates participating in the NJ
Educational Opportunity Fund (EOF) program for students from educationally and economically disadvantaged
backgrounds, and for medical students at City University of New York (CUNY), whose majority of graduates go
on to practice primary care in underserved communities. In component A, 10 medical and pharmacy students will
participate in mentored research and interprofessional training in clinical and translational science each summer.
This comprehensive 10-week program provides students with hands-on research training using state-of-the-art,
case-based learning along with career development workshops and formal training in translational science. The
objective of CREST Component A is to immerse medical and pharmacy students in research experiences that
advance analytical and technical skills and stimulate their pursuit of advanced research training. Component B
broadens the impact of the CREST program and benefits a diverse population of students. In this component,
medical and pharmacy CREST participants will serve as “ambassadors” who will meet in hybrid (in-person/virtual)
sessions with Rutgers EOF undergraduates to discuss their experience and paths to medical and pharmacy
school, and to share their enthusiasm for and the importance of their CTS research. Component B will also offer
the opportunity for 1st and 2nd year CUNY medical students to complete the online/asynchronous translational
science digital badge. After completing the badge, these students will be offered the opportunity to attend in a
virtual format the research presentations from students in Component A. The objective of CREST Component B
is to foster interest and educate undergraduate and medical students from underrepresented backgrounds about
the CTS process. Ultimately, CREST will build a well-trained and diverse workforce prepared to address
challenges in clinical and translational science and improve public health.
Terms: <Address><Applications Grants><Award><CEGP><COVID crisis><COVID epidemic><COVID pandemic><COVID-19 crisis><COVID-19 epidemic><COVID-19 era><COVID-19 global health crisis><COVID-19 global pandemic><COVID-19 health crisis><COVID-19 pandemic><COVID-19 period><COVID-19 public health crisis><COVID-19 years><Cancer Education Grant><Cancer Education Grant (R25)><Cancer Education Grant Program><Cancer Education Program (R25)><Career Counseling><Career Guidance><Case Based Learning><Cities><Clinical Paths><Clinical Pathways><Clinical Research><Clinical Sciences><Clinical Study><Clinical Trials><Collaborations><Competence><Curriculum><Data Science><Development><Dissemination and Implementation><Diverse Workforce><Doctor of Philosophy><Early Intervention><Economically Deprived><Education><Education and Outreach><Educational Curriculum><Educational aspects><Educational workshop><Enrollment><Entrepreneurial Skill><Entrepreneurship><Environment><Evaluation><Fostering><Funding Opportunities><Grant Proposals><Health><Health Sciences><Hybrids><IRB><IRBs><Institutional Review Boards><Instruction and Outreach><Knowledge><Leadership><Long-Term Effects><Longterm Effects><MD students><Medical><Medical Students><Mentors><Mentorship><New Jersey><New York><Occupational Guidance><Parents><Participant><Pathway interactions><Persons><Ph.D.><PhD><Pharmacies><Pharmacists><Pharmacy Schools><Pharmacy Students><Pharmacy facility><Physicians><Population><Population Heterogeneity><Process><Public Health><R-Series Research Projects><R01 Mechanism><R01 Program><R25 Grant><R25E Award><Research><Research Grants><Research Project Grants><Research Projects><Research Resources><Research Training><Resources><SARS-CoV-2 epidemic><SARS-CoV-2 global health crisis><SARS-CoV-2 global pandemic><SARS-CoV-2 pandemic><SARS-coronavirus-2 epidemic><SARS-coronavirus-2 pandemic><Science><Scientist><Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome CoV 2 epidemic><Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome CoV 2 pandemic><Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 epidemic><Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 pandemic><Students><Talents><Technical Expertise><Technology><Training><Training Activity><Training Programs><Training and Outreach><Translational Research><Translational Science><Tutoring and Outreach><Underrepresented Students><Universities><Visit><Vocational Counseling><Vocational Guidance><Wood><Wood material><Workplace Diversity><Workshop><advanced analytics><career><career counselor><career development><coronavirus disease 2019 crisis><coronavirus disease 2019 epidemic><coronavirus disease 2019 global health crisis><coronavirus disease 2019 global pandemic><coronavirus disease 2019 health crisis><coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic><coronavirus disease 2019 public health crisis><coronavirus disease crisis><coronavirus disease epidemic><coronavirus disease pandemic><coronavirus disease-19 global pandemic><coronavirus disease-19 pandemic><developmental><digital><disadvantaged background><disease heterogeneity><disparity in health><diverse populations><diversity, equity, and inclusiveness><economic disparity><economically disadvantaged><educationally disadvantaged><enroll><equity, diversity, and inclusion><executive coaching><experience><faculty mentor><graduate student><hands on research><health disparity><health equity><heterogeneous population><improved><innovate><innovation><innovative><interest><lesson plans><marginalized background><medical college><medical school students><medical schools><meeting><meetings><new approaches><novel approaches><novel strategies><novel strategy><outreach><parent><pathway><population diversity><primary care practice><professional students><programs><recruit><response><response to therapy><response to treatment><school of medicine><science education><severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 global health crisis><severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 global pandemic><student engagement><student motivation><student participation><student training><success><summer program><summer session><technical skills><therapeutic response><therapy response><training module><translation research><translational investigation><translational investigator><translational pipeline><translational researcher><translational scientist><translational spectrum><treatment response><treatment responsiveness><under served community><undergrad><undergraduate><undergraduate student><underserved community><virtual><virtual internship>