The Division has held an NIH institutional training grant (T32) for the last 20 years. This multidisciplinary training program in lung disease supports advanced research training for individuals with both M.D. and Ph.D. degrees. The M.D. participants are typically either third year fellows or graduates of the fellowship program. Trainees utilize this funding mechanism to extend their research training in order to better equip them for careers as independent investigators.

In 2012, we will apply for continued funding to renew this training grant for an additional 5 year period. This program supports both laboratory-based and patient-based research training. The last application received an outstanding overall score from reviewers, who recommended that the program be renewed with additional funds committed for incremental slots. Selected comments from the reviewers are included below:

"This is a superb grant application for continuation of a training program. The program has been highly successful in the last two cycles. The leadership is outstanding, the collaborative research and teaching are impressive and the resources and research funding are solid. The program includes basic and clinical research. Staff in both areas have increased during the past five years. The pool of applicants is impressive and the record of prior trainees is excellent. The program is well organized, and the cooperation among staff members is excellent. The individual traineeships are well supervised. The application requests an increased from 8 to 12 per year. Considering the success of the program and the increase in staff and facilities, the increase in the number of Trainees is justified. The application is approved with a high level of enthusiasm and without reservation."

"The training record is superb. Twenty-nine trainees were supported from this grant during the past cycle, seventeen of whom were MDs. Twelve have completed training and ten have full-time faculty appointments in academic institutions. Eight of twelve MD trainees who have completed training have been awarded K08 or K23 awards. One individual has received an R01, and one trainee is the Principal Investigator of a project in a Specialized Center of Research."

"The overall program is again at a flagship level."

"This is an exemplarily put forth educational, research training program supported by an excellent administrative and well-resourced faculty with a commendable track record of success. By almost any criterion-based measure it rates as high in the outstanding range."

Training Grant T32 HL07749

Abstract

This application is a competitive renewal for a Multidisciplinary Training Program in Lung Disease. Its goal is to provide training in basic and clinical sciences relevant to the study of pulmonary disease. The program proposes to support 12 postdoctoral fellows ( M.D.s and Ph.D.s) per year. The focus of the training program is a two year experience in the laboratory under the close supervision of a faculty trainer, utilizing molecular, cellular, animal modeling, epidemiologic, or clinical approaches. The program utilizes faculty trainers from the Departments of Internal Medicine (Divisions of Pulmonary/Critical Care Medicine and General Medicine), Pediatrics (Hematology/Oncology), Pathology, and Radiology. The program also utilizes faculty trainers from the Departments of Epidemiology and Biostatistics at the University of Michigan School of Public Health. Faculty trainers either have extensive research experience in diverse, but interrelated areas of cellular and molecular biology or in biostatistics, epidemiology, clinical research design or medical economics. All faculty trainers have trained postdoctoral fellows who have subsequently gone on to independent, productive careers in research and teaching. New facilities and faculty have been incorporated into this program to offer outstanding training opportunities in the disciplines of modern biology and the disciplines relevant to rigorous clinical research. The program provides a structured curriculum that contains appropriate course work, exposure to relevant lecture series, and an in depth intensive laboratory and/or clinical research experience. A broad range of research topics is available to trainees, including chemokine biology, the pathobiology of fibrotic lung disease, host defense mechanisms, lymphocyte-macrophage interactions, epithelial cell biology, fibroblast biology, protease biology, arachidonic acid biochemistry, granulocyte biology, pulmonary epidemiology, molecular genetic studies of candidate genes influencing susceptibility to lung disease, outcomes in lung disease, quality improvement, physician decision making, economic assessment of medical interventions, appropriate utilization of medical technology, financing and organization of medical care, medical ethics, and medical education. Continuation of this training grant in lung disease at the University of Michigan will capitalize on the exceptionally strong resources that have been assembled at this institution. The program, as constructed, will produce a cadre of well-trained investigators devoted to understanding the pathogenesis and treatment of pulmonary diseases.

Over the last 15 years, approximately two-thirds of our graduates have been appointed to academic positions.

Of these individuals, >80% have received some type of research funding and >60% have received peer-reviewed, federal funding (NIH, VA, Medical Research Council of Canada), indicating their active and respected role as investigators.

Over the last 20 years, our graduates have been appointed to faculty positions at academic institutions including:

Positions in the Multidisciplinary Training Program in Lung Disease at the University of Michigan Health System are available for U.S. citizens or permanent residents. Interested applicants should send curriculum vitae and a statement of interests, along with references to:

Theodore Standiford, M.D., Interim Chief

Division of Pulmonary & Critical Care Medicine
1150 W. Medical Center Dr.
6301 MSRB III/5642 
Ann Arbor, MI 48109-5642
Fax (734) 764-4556
Email: tstandif@umich.edu

Michigan Institute for Clinical and Health Research

The University of Michigan School of Public Health On Job/On Campus Programs

Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

UMMC is committed to mentoring minority candidates and women as an Equal Employment Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer.