NIMH Career Opportunities in Research (COR) Honors Undergraduate Research Training Grant (T34)
NAMHC Concept Clearance — September 21, 2007
Presenter
Michael A. Sesma, Ph.D.
Chief, Research Scientist Development Program
Office for Special Populations, Office of the Director, NIMH
Goal
The NIMH Career Opportunities in Research (COR) supports undergraduate research training to develop a pool of individuals who will help ensure that a diverse and highly trained workforce is available to assume leadership roles related to the Nation’s biomedical, behavioral and clinical research agenda for mental health.
Rationale
The NIMH COR Program will be supported in 4-year colleges and universities that serve substantial numbers of racial and ethnic minority groups who are underrepresented in mental health research, as well as those with social and economic disadvantages or those with disabilities. Upper division (junior/senior) students will be oriented to careers in research through training programs that feature a contemporary curriculum rich in quantitative and cross-disciplinary research. NIMH COR programs must offer the following: (1) didactic and hands-on laboratory or clinical research experience; (2) a core curriculum including courses in research design, psychology, neuroscience, genetics, epidemiology and the biological basis of mental disorders; (3) professional development skills and career guidance, including instruction and training in publication and grant writing; (4) instruction in laboratory and project management; and (5) research experience with an NIMH grantee or NIMH Intramural scientist. Trainees will develop skills in understanding the research process, applying critical and analytic abilities and proposing solutions to mental health problems. This training will provide a foundation of scholarly skills necessary for a career as an independent biomedical or behavioral investigator.
