# Research Experience and Training Coordination Core (RETCC)

> **NIH NIH P42** · HARVARD UNIVERSITY D/B/A HARVARD SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH · 2020 · $225,566

## Abstract

SUMMARY/ ABSTRACT
The Research Experience and Training Coordination Core (RETCC) is organized around the principle that the
skills needed for productive careers in environmental science include the ability to think creatively in a cross-
disciplinary context, communicate effectively with a range of audiences, and appreciate the role of
communities and their concerns as both motivators and beneficiaries of environmental research. Our Metals
and Metal Mixtures: Cognitive Aging, Remediation and Exposure Sources (MEMCARE) Superfund Research
Center (SRC) is studying metal mixtures in multiple inter-related contexts: (a) their impact on cognitive aging
(as well as mechanisms of association) in both human and experimental models; (b) identification of critical
exposure windows for later life cognitive decline; (c) characterization of exposure variability; and (d)
development of innovative technologies for exposure remediation. In this context, RETCC will develop
resources to supplement trainee research activities beyond individual projects to promote: 1) cross-disciplinary
experience in environmental science; (2) enhanced development of communication and leadership skills; and
(3) understanding of the wide-ranging impact of Superfund research and the implications of this context on
professional and intellectual development. The key resource developed by the RETCC (in collaboration with
our SRC Research Projects) is a series of cross-disciplinary lab exchanges (externships) and practicums.
Other resources developed by this Core include a new seminar series, workshop, and, in conjunction with the
Community Engagement Core (CEC) and Research Translation Coordinator (RT), community engagement,
and research translation opportunities to complement research activities. CEC and RT activities are designed
to enhance trainee communication skills, not only among scientific peers, but also among constituencies for
which SRC activities resonate—for example, communities impacted by contaminants and government
agencies tasked with contaminant remediation and regulation. In collaboration with the Data Management and
Analysis Core (DMAC), RETCC will also facilitate opportunities for data science training, including participation
in a course in reproducible science. The Core will facilitate trainee participation in grantee and professional
meetings and associated leadership and professional networking opportunities. Finally, the RETCC will
facilitate trainee access to professional development resources and nominate qualified trainees for NIEHS
SRP-sponsored honors. We anticipate that more than 20 trainees will participate in our SRC (about 2/3 pre-
doctoral and 1/3 postdoctoral), each working on SRC research for 2-4 years. RETCC is a central component of
this SRC, uniting all trainees and their mentors with common goals and shared activities, both inside and
outside of the classroom and laboratory. Every Project will have trainees, and every trainee will interface with
R...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9840754
- **Project number:** 1P42ES030990-01
- **Recipient organization:** HARVARD UNIVERSITY D/B/A HARVARD SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH
- **Principal Investigator:** SUSAN A KORRICK
- **Activity code:** P42 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $225,566
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** — → —

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9840754

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9840754, Research Experience and Training Coordination Core (RETCC) (1P42ES030990-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-21 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9840754. Licensed CC0.

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