Arizona Approaches to equity: Pandemics, Lungs and Sleep (AAPLS)

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R25 PRIDE is a flagship, “cutting-edge” innovative program that builds upon the past successes of the University of Arizona (UArizona) by bringing new approaches and best practices to advance research education tailored for qualified PRIDE trainees. The overarching goal of our program is to provide advanced research training experiences and long-term mentoring in an interprofessional environment to qualified candidates -- junior faculty and transitioning postdoctoral scientists from diverse backgrounds, including those from groups that are underrepresented in the biomedical sciences -- who are committed to investigating the factors responsible for differences in health among populations as they pertain to lung, sleep-related breathing disorders, and the consequences of the pandemic to these systems.

AAPLS will nationally recruit eligible and qualified individuals and provide them with advanced training experiences and long-term mentoring that will enable them to develop a research program and work with their home institution to obtain NIH funding and develop their career and gain leadership skills. The research training experiences will be tailored to the R25PRIDE trainee and designed to enhance their research skills, experiences, and knowledge base in lung and sleep-related breathing disorders research. We will also provide training in specific scientific area of infectious and immunobiological consequences of the post-infectious sequelae on lung and sleep using cross-cutting methodological approaches. Our specific aims are to:

  1. Identify, recruit, and train eligible candidates with research interests in investigating factors that account for differences in health among populations as they pertain to lung and sleep-related breathing disorders.
  2. Identify, recruit, and train eligible candidates with research interests in investigating factors that account for differences in health among populations as they pertain to the acute and long-term sequelae of the pandemic on lung and sleep-related breathing disorders.
  3. Provide each candidate an individualized training and long-term mentoring program that focuses on the conceptualization, design, and implementation of research investigating the factors responsible for differences in health among populations as they pertain to lung and sleep-related breathing disorders and the pandemic-related immunobiological effects on the lung and sleep. 
  4. Increase the number and diversity of researchers in health disparities of lung, sleep, and pandemic-related immunobiological effects on the lung and sleep.

Innovative training aspects of AAPLS include:

  1. Small Research Projects (SRP) funding from NHLBI: Small research pilot grants (up to $25,000) will be awarded through this mechanism to span over 1 year, to position the PRIDE Scholar for success in obtaining NIH Grant funding.
  2. Modified Chatham House Rules event
    1. A 2-hour session brainstorming session that is tailored for each PRIDE scholar
    2. One session for each scholar during the PRIDE summer institute
    3. Meet with mentors, advisors of external and internal advisory board
    4. Develop and refine their NHLBI SRP pilot or other grant applications with feedback from attendees
    5. Multiple topical mock grant sessions
      1. “Topical” refers to a funded grant from a mentor for review that is highly relevant to the PRIDE scholar’s research.
      2. Review funded grants in a manner that mimics actual NIH grant review (NIH study section model).
      3. Gain knowledge on how to review grants and avoid common pitfalls in grant applications
      4. Theme inclusion for HLBS area of focus
        1. Opportunity to be mentored by outstanding faculty in lung health and diseases at the UArizona  Asthma and Airway Disorders Research Center (A2DRC)
        2. Lung and sleep effects and sequelae of pandemics with concentration on lung immunobiology, inflammation, vaccinology, and future pandemic preparedness with the University of Arizona Aegis Consortium for  Pandemic-free Future . 
        3. Opportunity to be mentored by outstanding faculty in sleep and circadian sciences at the UAHS Center for Sleep Circadian and Neurosciences
        4. Connectivity with Health disparity researchers across the state’s multiple academic institutions - Arizona CEAL program
        5. In-person mentoring during two summer institutes * in July of the first year and again in July of the second year
        6. Ongoing virtual mentoring over the course of a year
        7. Annual PRIDE Institute meeting at NIH/NHLBI *

Small Research Projects (SRP) funding: The AAPL scholars will be offered the opportunity to apply for Small Research Projects (SRP) funding from NHLBI following the first summer PRIDE institute. They will be matched with potential mentors prior to their arrival and will be allowed to develop a draft application / specific aims for these funds prior to their arrival during their first summer institute. Activities during the summer institute include grant development and grant review; personalized feedback regarding their Pilot grant or other grant applications during the first PRIDE summer institute. PRIDE Scholars who are applying for these funds may include their application in these group activities for feedback during the Modified Chatham House Rules event.

Summer PRIDE Institutes: PRIDE Scholars will receive all-expenses-paid training that facilitates successful team science career development, that includes two intensive summer institutes (1.5 week in year-1, and 1 week in year-2); a Mid-year visit to Arizona (1 week in the Winter); a 3-day Spring workshop in Bethesda, and monthly videoconferencing.

The Yearlong program covers:

  1. Grantsmanship (NIH Style writing, and reviewing grants)
  2. Scientific Writing, Presentations, and Bioethics
  3. Advanced Research Methodology (Tailored to trainee needs) in the following content areas:
    • Community-Based Participatory Research
    • Design & Analysis of Health Outcomes & Effectiveness Research
    • Basic and Advanced Epidemiological/Bio-statistical Methods
    • Transomics and Biomarker discovery
    • Data-science and machine learning
    • Wearables and devices
  1. Interprofessional Career/Leadership Development
  2. Structured Mentoring by a team of content experts
  3. Research experience (includes funding for select small projects) with mentor/instructor support in:
    • Conceptualization
    • Design
    • Implementation
    • Analysis
    • Reporting
  1. Writing workshops:
    • Abstract/Poster/Audiovisual content writing
    • Scientific publications
    • Research report composition
    • Dissemination strategies

 

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