# Enhancement Training for the Next Generation of Translational Ph.D. Scientists

> **NIH NIH T32** · UNIV OF NORTH CAROLINA CHAPEL HILL · 2021 · $179,548

## Abstract

Project Summary/Abstract
In this revision of T32-GM122741, the UNC Program in Translational Medicine requests five years of support
to train basic science Ph.D. students to perform translational research on topics of clinical significance, working
in multidisciplinary teams composed of scientists, physician-scientists, and clinicians, using state-of-the-art
experimental approaches and patient-derived resources to address clinically-relevant needs. The UNC
Program in Translational Medicine was born out of the Med-into-Grad Initiative of the Howard Hughes Medical
Institute and has now existed for >10 years. Over this period of time, the UNC Program in Translational
Medicine has trained 121 Ph.D. students from 15 different basic science programs in the UNC School of
Medicine, UNC School of Pharmacy, UNC School of Dentistry, UNC School of Public Health, and UNC College
of Arts and Sciences. The UNC Program in Translational Medicine provides enhancement training to
biomedical Ph.D. students leading to a Certificate in Translational Medicine which is conferred at the time of
completion of the Ph.D. Trainees in the UNC Program in Translational Medicine complete required coursework
related to the pathogenesis of human disease, participate in monthly programmatic activities, perform
translational research, and benefit from dual mentorship (with a basic science mentor and a clinical co-mentor).
The clinical co-mentors provide a tailored clinical experience for each trainee, exposing students to the
practical realities of the diseases they research and identifying questions of clinical significance that can be
addressed using basic science research methods and approaches. The required elements of the program
complement requirements of the individual Ph.D. programs, ensuring that the time-to-completion of the degree
is comparable to that of the typical Ph.D. student. Since its inception, 66 Ph.D. students have completed the
requirements for the Certificate in Translational Medicine. The long-term goal of the UNC Program in
Translational Medicine is to train a cadre of Ph.D. researchers with the knowledge and skills necessary to
recognize, appreciate, and address clinically-relevant biological problems from the perspective of basic
science. We anticipate that this next generation of translational Ph.D. scientists will understand which
biological problems are of greatest clinical relevance and will be positioned to apply new biological knowledge
to create tools for improved human health.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10198943
- **Project number:** 5T32GM122741-04
- **Recipient organization:** UNIV OF NORTH CAROLINA CHAPEL HILL
- **Principal Investigator:** Alisa S. Wolberg
- **Activity code:** T32 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $179,548
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2018-07-01 → 2023-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10198943

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10198943, Enhancement Training for the Next Generation of Translational Ph.D. Scientists (5T32GM122741-04). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10198943. Licensed CC0.

---

*[NIH grants dataset](/datasets/nih-grants) · CC0 1.0*