PROJECT SUMMARY The University of Oregon's long-standing predoctoral Developmental Biology Training Program's goal is to train rigorous, skilled, and innovative developmental biologists. Our trainees develop abilities to lead research programs of their own, communicate discoveries to other scientists and the public, and teach future generations of scientists. Our multi-faceted training equips students to become leading academic and non- academic scientists or achieve other influential research-related careers. Individualized research training within one of many active and diverse laboratories is the core of our program. Trainees' thesis research builds upon a continuously innovating curricular foundation. Core graduate-level courses are Molecular Genetics and Developmental Genetics and one of Developmental Neurobiology, Stem Cells & Regeneration, and Genomics Approaches. Additionally, all trainees take Advanced Biological Statistics. We surround research and coursework with a wealth of enhancing and broadening experiences. Examples include first year rotations, required teaching, a dissertation advisory committee, journal clubs, a monthly interest group, annual student research reports, and interactions with visiting speakers. We offer various career development activities especially to support students interested in non-academic careers. A unique highlight is our annual trainee-organized Developmental Biology Training Program symposium, where trainees host leading scientists to share their research on a topic of the students' choosing. We request continued support for seven predoctoral positions within a program that includes 22 highly collaborative, productive, and well-funded labs dedicated to graduate training. We have expanded the reach and vitality of our research and training with six new Assistant Professors, all of whom are top recruits and represent diverse areas of developmental biology research. They join the DBTP's internationally respected senior faculty to position us to maintain our outsized record of innovative research and training. The DBTP unites faculty and trainees from two Departments (Biology or Chemistry & Biochemistry) and four Institutes (Institute of Molecular Biology, Institute of Neuroscience, Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Oregon Institute of Marine Biology). Trainees are exposed to research across Institutes due to a rich tradition of collaboration, common training activities, the close proximity of most labs, and outstanding core facilities. As such, our program fosters interdisciplinary training that bridges genetics, genomics, molecular biology, cell biology, computational biology, neuroscience, and evolutionary biology. This breadth complements the focused project- oriented training students receive in their thesis labs, producing creative and confident scientists empowered to direct impactful research programs or assume other science leadership roles.