Post-Doctoral Fellowships
APPLICATIONS FOR FALL 2008 ARE DUE APRIL 1, 2008.
The CGREAL Post-doctoral program recruits trainees who are
have demonstrated promise as researchers in interdisciplinary
fields that are relevant to genetic research ethics and law
and who can immediately benefit from didactic training and intensive
mentorship. Its major goal is to train researchers whose work
is focused on seeking answers to ethical, legal and social questions
surrounding the design and conduct of human genetic research,
and the development of sound ways to implement such answers
in policy.
Because of the interdisciplinary nature of this research, it
is often the case that individuals come to work on ELSI topics
an idiosyncratic fashion. To remediate this, we offer a flexible
1-2 year training program to help guide young investigators
to this field of study and to provide them with integrated but
focused training. We targeted individuals for training who have
received a doctorate in the social and behavioral sciences (i.e.,
sociology, psychology, anthropology), genetics or other basic
sciences, nursing and medicine, law and the humanities.
The CGREAL Post-Doctoral Program is based in an experiential
learning environment situated within mentored relationships.
The current size of the program is quite modest; we take, on
average, two new trainees per year and never more than three.
The training program consists of:
- An individualized longitudinal curriculum in ethics, genetics
and the social sciences, offered through relevant academic
departments and programs. Upon entry into the program, each
trainee’s research and clinical training is evaluated
to ascertain which ‘package’ of courses the trainee
will take.
- Development of tailored genetic research ethics research
experiences designed to expose trainees to a variety of research
paradigms and disciplines.
- A mentored genetic research ethics research project designed
and conducted by the trainee in collaboration with his/her
mentors.
Early Mentorship Program
Trainees are assigned to a participating faculty mentor to orient
and guide the trainee during their first months of fellowship.
We attempt to match trainees with initial mentors who are likely
to become the permanent primary mentor although trainees may
revise their focus of interest. With their initial mentor’s
help, trainees select a primary mentor and several other secondary
mentors to form a multidisciplinary mentoring committee. The
package of courses, seminars, and brief research rotations will
prepare the trainee to conduct research on ethical, legal and
social issues in genetic research.
Individualized Longitudinal Curriculum
One of the primary functions of the early mentorship program
is to assist trainees to develop an individualized learning
plan within the first two months of his/her entry into the program.
This includes the selection of a research mentor, a research
project and an outline of the courses and/or seminars that the
trainee should pursue to supplement their prior doctoral training.
Trainees may have adequate exposure to research methods but
may lack the exposure to genetic concepts and research practices;
physician and scientific trainees may need to supplement their
genetic and clinical knowledge with research methodology, ethics,
law, and the social sciences. In order to meet these different
needs, a catalog of courses and seminars available throughout
the university is provided to the trainee. The student, with
the help of the initial mentor, then selects the courses/seminars
needed to reach his/her specific training objectives.
Research Experience The cardinal elements of
the proposed training program are the research experiences and
training offered to our trainees. For each trainee, we develop
an individualized program that gives them training in a variety
of content areas and methodologies. Trainees’ research
projects should be concentrated within the
four specific aims of the Center for Genetic Research Ethics
and Law: 1) cultural meaning; 2) social values; 3) moral imagination
and, 4) responsible policy.
Individual Candidate Training Plans The development
of the fellow’s research proposal and conducting the research
project is the most important element of the training program.
During the course of the individually tailored studies, the
trainee identifies possible research projects and with the help
of his or her primary mentor and mentoring committee, chooses
a project and then identifies the theoretical, methodological,
and clinical areas of expertise necessary to successfully carry
out the research project. This includes subject recruitment
or accessing the correct databases, data collection or handling
of databases, and data analysis and manuscript development.
Mentors come from a variety of disciplines and vary in number
depending on the research plan. These faculty form the trainee’s
mentoring group. .
As the trainee progresses through the varying stages of accomplishing
the work, the committee continually assesses whether additional
skills or knowledge bases need to be added. This focused skills
training is designed to teach the trainee the skills needed
to conduct their research through brief didactic work and hands-on
learning. Trainees also have the opportunity to learn necessary
quantitative skills in a similar fashion. The trainee is encouraged
to continue making progress to work as independently as possible
as his/her skills accrue.
Shared Resources
The CGREAL’s shared resource cores provide important
enabling resources for the research programs and initiatives.
These provide access to expertise and instrumentation that leverage
research beyond what would be possible by individual investigators.
Mentors
Mentors are all Case faculty who represent researchers from
a variety of disciplines including genetics, anthropology, bioethics,
health law, sociology of science, health services research,
and political science. They also include the clinical areas
of medical genetics, oncology, genetic counseling, nursing and
pediatrics. All of these mentors have committed to provide research
experiences to trainees (whether brief or for their major project)
and evaluate and develop the tailored training curriculum for
their primary trainees. Within the first two months of the program,
trainees will select a primary mentor who will then help them
construct a mentoring committee. The committee members were
chosen to meet the trainee’s needs for research mentorship
and experiences, development of methodological expertise (research
design and analysis), relevant content expertise, and professional
development.
LIST OF MENTORS:
Mark
Aulisio, PhD
Jessica
Berg, JD
Robert
Binstock, PhD
Dena Davis, PhD, JD
David Deeds, PhD
Jennifer
Fishman, PhD
Atwood Gaines, PhD
Sharona
Hoffman, JD
Eric
Juengst, PhD
Eric
Kodish, MD
Patricia
Marshall, PhD
Anne
Matthews, PhD
Maxwell
Mehlman, JD
Joseph
Nadeau, PhD
Stephen
Post, PhD
Mary
Quinn Griffin, PhD
Eric
Topol, MD
Georgia
Wiesner, MD
Chris
Winkelman, PhD
Peter Whitehouse, MD, PhD
Nancy
Wolf, PhD, MD
Stuart
Youngner, MD
Peer Review Committee
The Peer Review Committee will meet biannually to review recruitment
and selection of trainees, select research activities and mentors
for trainees, approve graduate education programs, and evaluate
trainee progress.
Selection Criteria
Acceptance of candidates will continue to be evaluated in terms
of: 1) the candidate’s potential to become an independent
investigator, 2) a match between candidate’s research
interests and one of our four specific aims, 3) a match between
the candidate’s training needs and our training expertise,
and 4) a match between candidate’s research interests
and needs and potential program mentors.
Selection Process and Recruitment
Candidates are required to submit the following set of documents
by April 1 of the calendar year of expected enrollment in the
training program: 1) a recent curriculum vitae including previous
research experience, 2) a personal statement describing the
reason for seeking research training and their specific interests
in genetic research ethics, 3) one general letter of recommendation,
and 4) letter of support from their training director or doctoral
committee chairperson/advisor.
Our Peer Review Committee reviews all applications. The criteria
used to judge applicants includes: 1) a commitment to a career
in genetic research ethics in an academic or related environment
and the estimated likelihood that participation in the training
program will further this goal, 2) academic excellence, and
3) information from the letters of recommendation and evidence
of ability to succeed as a researcher as evidenced through the
submitted materials and interviews with faculty.
Minority Recruitment
Minority recruitment will be a high priority for this program.
The Case School of Medicine has an outstanding track record
in recruiting minority candidates.
Evaluation Plan
Assessment of Trainees' Progress
Progress of the trainees is evaluated by the Mentoring Committees
at specified intervals during the course of their training.
The goal of the Mentoring Committee's performance evaluation
is to assess the trainee's performance in an individualized
fashion that focuses on meeting the fellow's particular career
development and research goals. The evaluation by the Peer Review
Committee considers the individual fellow's program and the
evaluation of the Mentoring Committee, but also focuses more
generally on how well the performance measures are being met.
Guidance in Next Steps
This program serves as a springboard for participants' careers
as ELSI researchers. Graduates are being prepared to successfully
compete for funding via K07, K08, K23, R03, R01, or foundation
grants. The goal is for CGREAL graduates to become independent
but highly collaborative investigators working within the entire
spectrum of relevant academic research.
Discussions between mentors and trainees about post-graduation
placement are ongoing throughout the course of the program and
the full range of opportunities available to graduates explored.
Mentors cultivate networking and collaborative opportunities
between trainees, extramural researchers, and others with whom
long-term working relationships might be forged.
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