# Interdisciplinary Training in the Chemical Senses > **NIH NIH T32** · MONELL CHEMICAL SENSES CENTER · 2022 · $304,529 ## Abstract Project Summary/Abstract The Monell Chemical Senses Center Postdoctoral Training Program, supported in part by Monell’s T32 Institutional National Research Service Award (NRSA), provides an opportunity for postdoctoral fellows to obtain training at a center for research into the chemical senses—taste, smell and chemical irritation. The eighteen faculty members participating in the training program have diverse scientific backgrounds and conduct collaborative research using methods spanning many disciplines such as electrophysiology, molecular biology, genetics, analytical chemistry, and psychophysics (applied to both humans and animals). Many Monell trainees extend their expertise obtained in other fields to the chemical senses; the Center provides a framework for them to apply skills learned elsewhere to chemosensory research. In addition to specialized hands-on research training provided by faculty mentors, fellows attend instructional courses, workshops, and Postdoctoral Journal Club meetings; they have opportunities for small-group review of data, one-on-one assistance with clear scientific communication, and instruction on academic ethics tailored to their stage of professional development. For each fellow, a mentoring committee composed of three faculty helps formulate an Individual Development Plan for that fellow’s career path, tracks the fellow’s progress, helps set practical scientific goals, suggests skill development opportunities, and provides written feedback every six months. In response to the current pandemic, training plans have been modified to include remote-access Journal Club meetings, seminars including an Interinstitutional Chemosensory Series, advanced training in workplace safety including decontamination procedures, and transitioning where possible to online data collection. The training program emphasizes teaching the skills to prepare results for publication and to write successful research grants in an environment where faculty share common interests and trainees have access to specialized infrastructure to study the chemical senses. During the previous funding period, Monell’s Institutional NRSA is supporting or has supported 12 postdoctoral fellows: 4 are in training and 8 now have obtained individual funding or have positions in academic institutions or elsewhere in the biomedical research workforce. All the trainees have published papers in field-appropriate peer-reviewed journals or preprint archives, attended national and/or international conferences, sought specialized training in courses and workshops, and become familiar with standards for the responsible conduct of research (including rigor and reproducibility). Several trainees have won awards for excellence in research; others have won competitive research grants, including three F32 Individual NRSAs and one similar governmental award. The long-term goal of Monell’s Postdoctoral Training Program is to train independent scientists in chemosensory biology, ... ## Key facts - **NIH application ID:** 10206393 - **Project number:** 2T32DC000014-42 - **Recipient organization:** MONELL CHEMICAL SENSES CENTER - **Principal Investigator:** PAMELA HELEN DALTON - **Activity code:** T32 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.) - **Funding institute:** NIH - **Fiscal year:** 2022 - **Award amount:** $304,529 - **Award type:** 2 - **Project period:** 1979-07-01 → 2027-06-30 ## Primary source NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10206393 ## Citation > US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10206393, Interdisciplinary Training in the Chemical Senses (2T32DC000014-42). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-25 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10206393. Licensed CC0. --- *[NIH grants dataset](/datasets/nih-grants) · CC0 1.0*