# The Whole Scientist Program

> **NIH NIH R25** · JACKSON LABORATORY · 2021 · $139,860

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT
While the academy excels in training scientists to conduct research, there is usually little opportunity for trainees
to learn and practice the professional skills that are essential to progressing and thriving in biomedical research
careers. To address this gap, The Jackson Laboratory (JAX), with IPERT support, developed The Whole
Scientist (TWS) program, which provides graduate students and postdoctoral fellows with professional skills
training to enhance their effectiveness and improve their success as members of the biomedical workforce. TWS
incorporates classroom learning with applied practica to help trainees develop aptitude and confidence in these
skills. Previous offerings of TWS were well received. We are now ready to increase the capacity and reach of
this program.
We will build on the previous TWS successes to broaden our curriculum using a novel thematic approach to skill
development, and to expand our geographic footprint by implementing TWS at institutions across the nation. We
will translate in-person TWS content into freely available online microcontent, for use in stand-alone professional
skills training, integration into graduate coursework, or self-directed learning. TWS microcontent will facilitate
implementation of TWS programming nationally, which will be enhanced by partnering with five geographically
dispersed institutions – one in each year of the grant. At these partner institutions, we will provide “train-the-
trainer” workshops for faculty and staff to support integration of TWS into their training curricula. The strategic
partner institutions will themselves become hubs for further dissemination of the curriculum and trainer training.
The TWS curriculum’s effectiveness at instilling professional skills and its impact on participants’ subsequent
careers will be evaluated at defined intervals. Feedback from participants and an advisory committee will
continue to guide further development of the program. Combined with formal and informal feedback from “train-
the-trainer” participants, we envision an adaptable and scalable training program that can be tailored to the
interests and needs of diverse graduate and/or postdoctoral scientists.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10176527
- **Project number:** 5R25GM113979-07
- **Recipient organization:** JACKSON LABORATORY
- **Principal Investigator:** Charles G Wray
- **Activity code:** R25 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $139,860
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2015-05-01 → 2025-05-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10176527

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10176527, The Whole Scientist Program (5R25GM113979-07). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10176527. Licensed CC0.

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