Training Program in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities Grant

The Training Program in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia Research Institute offers advanced training for individuals pursuing careers in neuroscience and neurodevelopmental research. Trainees engage in hands-on research, develop critical skills, and collaborate with esteemed scientists, aiming to become leaders in their field. The program actively encourages applications from underrepresented minority groups to foster diversity in scientific research.

The Childrens Hospital Of Philadelphia Research Institute
For a century, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia Research Institute has advanced breakthrough treatments and innovations that have changed lives and pushed pediatric scientific knowledge forward. It’s truly amazing what an elite scientific research institution can accomplish with an engaged professional community, the shared resources on a premier academic campus, and the commitment to excellence at a world-renowned children’s hospital.
Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research Center
The Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research Center (IDDRC) at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and the University of Pennsylvania advances research into the causes and treatment of developmental disabilities. One of the IDDRC’s goals is to develop a novel biomarker for language disability in autism.
The IDDRC team also creates research Centers of Excellence to favor interdisciplinary investigations into IDD, and it constructively partners with the IDDRC Network to realize the goals of the IDD branch of the National Institute for Child Health and Human Development (NICHD). The Center supports 79 federally funded projects, of which 11 are from the NICHD, and four are foundation-funded projects.
The Training Program in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities provides the advanced training necessary to promote individuals into successful independent neuroscience/neurological/neurodevelopmental research careers. The program focuses on understanding intellectual and developmental disabilities caused by chromosomal defects, inborn errors of metabolism (e.g., aminoaciduria, urea cycle defects), or hypoxia and trauma (e.g., perinatal insult, traumatic brain injury).
Experimental training is complemented by an educational program including the Neuroscience Grants Club, Quantitative Skills Workshop, and Neuroscience Chalk Talks. In addition, trainees interact with internationally renowned scientists who present their research at lectures sponsored by the Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research Center.
About the Training Program
The Training Program in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities has been continuously supported by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke since 1998. An executive committee selects trainees from postdoctoral fellows (MDs, PhDs, and MD/PhDs) who apply for the program. Members of minority groups underrepresented in science are encouraged to submit applications. Individuals supported by the program pursue full-time research training in basic, translational, and/or clinical research in selected world-class laboratories at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and the University of Pennsylvania. Training includes planning, executing, and publishing primary research.
Trainees are carefully supervised to ensure they take full advantage of the robust opportunities offered through the program. Progress is monitored with a series of obligatory oral presentations and regular written reports from both trainees and their mentors. Program participants are expected to become future leaders in neurodevelopmental disabilities research, assume positions at major medical schools and pharmaceutical companies, or pursue related careers.
Program Overview
The Training Program in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities (NDD T32) is intended for both physicians with clinical training in pediatrics, neurology, neuropathology or a related field, and doctoral-level researchers who have done neuroscience (or related) research and wish to apply their expertise to the field of intellectual and developmental disabilities.
While trainees devote most of their time to research activities in an established research group, they also participate in activities designed to improve related skills and facilitate their advancement. Components of the Training Program include:

• Development of Research Skills

Research training performed under the tutelage of a mentor(s) is the primary focus of all trainees in this program. The research project, developed collaboratively between trainees and their mentor(s), should address an issue of relevance to intellectual and developmental disabilities. The project can be basic science or translational research if it is hypothesis-driven. The research project should provide a learning vehicle for the trainee and complement other career development activities undertaken during the training experience. Trainees and their mentors are strongly encouraged to design projects that could provide a pathway to an independent research career for the trainee.
Other components are: Development of Scientific Writing and Presentation Skills; Quantitative Literacy Improvement; Responsible Conduct of Research; and Scientific Rigor and Reproducibility.

Eligibility

MD candidates should have clinical training in pediatrics, neurology, neuropathology, or a related field.
PhD candidates should have completed their PhD in neuroscience or a related field and should have conducted neuroscience research.
We encourage applications from members of minority groups that are underrepresented in science careers.
All candidates must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents (green card holders) at the time of application to be eligible for support from this training grant.