Specific Aims
Specific Aim 1: (Curriculum Development):
To develop and implement a curriculum specifically for the training of multidisciplinary translational research teams. The curriculum will include courses in applied biomedical ethics, cultural competence and team building. Curriculum development activities will include:
- planning, implementation and evaluation of curricula to prepare multidisciplinary teams for the cooperative, ethical, and culturally competent conduct of health disparities research;
- preparation of a research seminar series focused on team building;
- integration of existing courses offered by other UH schools and departments as electives;
- design of interdisciplinary community-based clinical research projects;
- dissemination of the curriculum through web postings, presentations at meetings, and workshops.
Specific Aim 2: (Administrative Development):
To solidify an administrative structure based in the Dean's office at JABSOM to perform the following:
- facilitate program activities, including recruitment, monitoring and evaluation of trainees, mentors and faculty;
- identify funded investigators with expertise in bioethics and cultural competence, as well as experience in interdisciplinary cooperation, to serve as additional instructors and mentors for the program;
- collaborate with the schools of Business, Arts & Science, Law, Hawaiian, Asian and Pacific Studies, Engineering, Social Work, and Nursing, e.g., in the development of the interdisciplinary curriculum;
- work with other disciplines to reduce administrative barriers to interdisciplinary study & collaboration;
- target and recruit program participants and formalize recruitment, selection and evaluation procedures;
- ensure compliance with NIH requirements, UH policy and procedures and other applicable regulations;
- identify extramural and other funding sources to ensure continuation of the PhDCR once the term of this award expires.
Specific Aim 3: (Investigator Development):
To increase investigator competence and foster collaboration between trainees, mentors, and instructors of the PhDCR program, ensuring continued follow-up surveillance that will help guide new graduates as they embark on promising careers in clinical research. The PhDCR will involve the following activities that will contribute to investigator development:
- provide a complementary forum and specific activities to encourage collaboration between disciplines;
- develop sources of support for development of junior faculty through intramural and extramural funding;
- prepare graduates to form multidisciplinary teams in developing innovative protocols;
- prepare graduates to serve as mentors for new trainees in order to provide reciprocal benefit to new scholars entering the program and expand the pool of collaborators.
By accomplishing the above specific aims, we hope to broaden the base of skilled investigators committed to innovations in community-based multidisciplinary research. With their in-depth knowledge and research experience, PhDCR trainees will contribute to enhancing capacity to improve health outcomes in diverse populations. This coincides with UH's long-term goal of expanding into a research-intensive institution.