The Center for Clinical and Translational Science (CCTS) Partner Network is situated in the Deep South of the United States; a region that is disproportionately affected by health disparities and inequities. The CTSA Predoctoral T32 at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (Deep South Predoc T32) will support the training and advancement of predoctoral PhD and/or MD students in clinical and translational science (CTS) and communication across the translational spectrum from basic scientists to clinical scientists to population scientists from 11 institutions across Alabama, Louisiana, and Mississippi. The mission of the Deep South Predoc T32 program is to inspire and develop future clinical and translational scientists by immersing trainees of diverse racial, ethnic, gender, disciplinary, and institutional backgrounds in a novel scheme of team science training and peer mentoring to build communication and leadership skills across the translational spectrum. The National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences defines the translational spectrum as representing each stage of research along the path from the biological basis of health and disease to interventions that improve the health of individuals and the public. It is essential to train researchers with skills that match the ever-increasing complexity of the research enterprise with communication skills across the translational spectrum. To address this complexity, we have the need and opportunity to develop translational scientists who are able to go beyond their disciplinary knowledge and have an appreciation for and an understanding of the translational spectrum outside their immediate discipline, enabling effective communication that includes communicating their research to the lay community. Our approach incorporates team science and peer mentoring across the translational spectrum to build clinical and translational science (CTS) research training as well as communication skills in our future leaders. The objectives of the Deep South Predoc T32 program are to: 1) Identify, recruit, and cultivate diverse (by race, ethnicity, gender, discipline and institution) medical students and PhD students in health-related, biomedical doctoral programs across the CCTS Partner Network to focus on mentored, translational, rigorous research of health disparities and disease burden specific to the Deep South region; 2) Establish and nurture Translational Spectrum teams (TeamS) that incorporate team science and peer mentoring strategies to expand the knowledge and interest in and build communication skills across the translational spectrum; 3) Ensure individualized training in CTS leadership as well as scientific verbal and written communication skills; 4) Promote student well-being with peer and near peer strategies; 5) Provide opportunities for future career options with mini-sabbaticals and inspirational role models; 6) Foster development of expanded networks for mentors, collaborators, and peers to engage within the larger translational scientific community; and, 7) Maintain effectiveness of the T32 programs through evaluations, surveys, and focus groups to implement improvements annually. Our long-term aim is to generate well-equipped clinical and translational scientists who continue to work in diverse teams focused on innovative and creative research.

The CTSA Predoctoral T32 at the University of Alabama at Birmingham will support the training and advancement of predoctoral PhD and/or MD students in clinical and translational science and communication across the translational spectrum from basic scientists to clinical scientists to population scientists from 11 institutions across Alabama, Louisiana, and Mississippi. The mission of the Deep South Predoc T32 program is to inspire and develop future clinical and translational scientists by immersing trainees of diverse racial, ethnic, gender, disciplinary, and institutional backgrounds in a novel scheme of team science training and peer mentoring to build communication and leadership skills across the translational spectrum. Our long-term aim is to generate well-equipped clinical and translational scientists who continue to work in diverse teams focused on innovative and creative research in the Deep South, a region that is disproportionately affected by health disparities and inequities.