Career Enhancement Core

PROJECT SUMMARY - CAREER ENHANCEMENT CORE The goal of the Career Enhancement Core (CEC) is to foster the development of researchers planning to engage in the field of tobacco regulatory science (TRS). The CEC will oversee the career development of 6 current early-career faculty (some of whom are Project co-Leaders), 2 new faculty recruits (funded with institutional support), and 8-10 postdoctoral fellows, in addition to graduate and undergraduate students. OSU- TCORS has a strong track record of career enhancement. During TCORS-I, we trained 4 early-career faculty (2 of whom received an NIH career development award) and 7 postdoctoral fellows, 5 of whom are in faculty positions conducting TRS research or in research/policy positions focused on TRS. Our investigators have trained numerous other early-career faculty, post-doctoral fellows, graduate, and undergraduate students in TRS since TCORS-I as well. The OSU-TCORS early-career faculty, postdoctoral fellows, and students will have the opportunity to work in a rich research environment with experienced mentors and robust mentoring and career enhancement infrastructure. They will conduct their research within the projects and have opportunities to propose and conduct pilot projects within our Integrative Theme “Flipping the Script”: Using the Industry's Nicotine Playbook to Maximize Public Health. Research and training experiences will be anchored in TRS competencies to provide trainees with opportunities to engage in science on the impact of nicotine dimensions (source/isomer, form, concentration) on the appeal, addictiveness, and toxicity of nicotine and tobacco products. The Specific Aims are to: 1) develop a structured, health-equity focused training program on TRS that includes lectures, readings, journal clubs, and seminars; 2) deliver this structured training program to early career faculty and postdoctoral fellows engaged in OSU-TCORS projects, with complementary training in grant writing and exposure to professional development activities; 3) provide opportunities for graduate and undergraduate students to participate in OSU-TCORS research projects, professional development, and special program initiatives; 4) conduct continuous process evaluation and annual outcome evaluation of the center and provide feedback to Principal Investigators, the Executive Committee and the External and Internal Advisory Boards; and, 5) oversee the OSU-TCORS research pilot studies program, directed to the trainees, which will allow for the completion of preliminary studies for future grant applications. The CEC will be led by Drs. Amy Ferketich and Darren Mays, who have experience leading training and educational programs. They will oversee the development and implementation of the training program, the summer undergraduate research program, the research pilot studies program, and the evaluation of CEC activities. Training the next generation of researchers is critical to the success of the TRS and the FDA CTP mission. The OSU-TCORS CEC proposes a highly integrated and diverse sef of research activities, with a health-equity emphasis, and has a strong track record of mentorship in TRS.