# Career Enhancement Core

> **NIH NIH U54** · UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA · 2023 · $313,896

## Abstract

ABSTRACT: CAREER ENHANCEMENT CORE
The USC TCORS Career Enhancement Core (CEC) plans a multi-pronged interdisciplinary approach to enhance
the career trajectories of trainees and early-stage investigators with tobacco regulatory science (TRS) expertise
consistent with the broad theme of our center: Informing regulation of an evolving non-combustible product
market to protect young people. Given its applied nature, TRS not only requires understanding of the scientific
questions and methodology related to TRS, but also insight into FDA’s regulatory authority and how to use TRS
evidence to inform FDA in a manner that can withstand judicial challenges. To achieve this goal, we have built
upon the successful career enhancement core in USC TCORS during the current project period, with the added
value of a new co-director with decades of experience in the career development of tobacco control trainees and
scientists. For the 2023-2028 funding period, we propose a combination of didactive training, experiential
learning via participation research teams, individualized learning through the conduct of a mentored research
project, and personalized and interdisciplinary co-mentorship and career coaching. Specific content areas will
include but are not limited to: research on tobacco product appeal, susceptibility, and usage; tobacco product
manufacturing, marketing, and distribution; regulatory science; health equity and diversity, equity and inclusion;
research ethics; and community outreach and engagement. As such, the TCORS CEC will ensure that the next
generation of tobacco regulatory scientists at USC reflects the racial, ethnic, gender, and social diversity of the
populations that we serve. The Specific Aims are to: 1) Recruit and train exceptional pre-doctoral and post-
doctoral trainees in the performance of rigorous TRS research and prepare them for successful careers as
independent TRS investigators; 2) Provide personalized interdisciplinary mentorship and training for early-stage
investigators or established investigators interested in shifting their research focus to TRS; 3) Implement USC’s
new, innovative certificate program (short course) in Tobacco Regulatory Science for CEC trainees and other
students and professionals engaged in tobacco regulatory activities at the local, state, and federal levels; 4)
Assist the national TCORS Career Enhancement Working Group’s efforts to catalogue and disseminate best
practices in TRS training and career enhancement; and 5) Monitor and evaluate the progress and impact of the
CEC using established metrics. These activities will produce a diverse cohort of well-trained TRS scholars at
USC and nationwide who are poised to become scientific leaders capable of generating the evidence base
required to protect the U.S. public’s health from unnecessary morbidity and mortality resulting from the marketing
and consumption of tobacco products.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10664811
- **Project number:** 2U54CA180905-11
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
- **Principal Investigator:** Heather L Wipfli
- **Activity code:** U54 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2023
- **Award amount:** $313,896
- **Award type:** 2
- **Project period:** 2013-09-19 → 2028-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10664811

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10664811, Career Enhancement Core (2U54CA180905-11). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-25 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10664811. Licensed CC0.

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