Application Open for T32 Doctoral Training Proposal in Regenerative Engineering under New Administrative Supplements to Recognize Excellence in Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA)
The Cato T. Laurencin Institute for Regenerative Engineering will be applying for a Supplement under the Notice of Special Interest: Administrative Supplements to Recognize Excellence in Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA) Mentorship (NOT-OD-24.001). If awarded, this funding would supplement the existing T32 training grant Regenerative Engineering of Musculoskeletal Tissues- A Convergence Doctoral Training Program (AR 079114).
The application will propose support for 1-year of graduate training to 3 PhD students at the University of Connecticut who meet the criteria set forth by the Notice of NIH's Interest in Diversity (NOT-OD-20-031). The students and their background will be featured as a critical component of the UConn proposal: enhancing its competitiveness. The students selected thus are joining forces with the University in pursuit of this funding.
OVERVIEW
The T32 Doctoral Training Program aims to educate, support and enhance the training of individuals dedicated to careers as independent translational and basic scientists in the field of regenerative engineering. The program offers inter-disciplinary research training at UConn Health and UConn Storrs combining the fields of biomedical science and engineering. Trainees will be selected from current UConn graduate students at UConn Health and UConn Storrs who have completed their first or second year of PhD training. Trainees will become experts in regenerative engineering and its foundations to work towards the alleviation of human disease and musculoskeletal injuries by means of tissue regeneration.
ELIGIBILITY
1) All applicants must identify as a member of at least one of the following groups as defined by the Notice of NIH's Interest in Diversity (NOT-OD-20-031)
a) Individuals from racial and ethnic groups that have been shown by the National Science Foundation to be underrepresented in health-related sciences on a national basis: Blacks or African Americans, Hispanics or Latinos, American Indians or Alaska Natives, Native Hawaiians and other Pacific Islanders; individuals from racial or ethnic groups. (For more information on racial and ethnic categories and definitions, see the OMB Revisions to the Standards for Classification of Federal Data on Race and Ethnicity).
b) Individuals with disabilities, who are defined as those with a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities, as described in the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, as amended.
c) Individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds, defined as those who meet two or more of the following criteria: Were or currently are homeless, as defined by the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act; were or currently are in the foster care system, as defined by the Administration for Children and Families; were eligible for the Federal Free and Reduced Lunch Program for two or more years; have/had no parents or legal guardians who completed a bachelor’s degree (First-Generation and Continuing-Generation College Students); were or currently are eligible for Federal Pell grants; received support from the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) as a parent or child; grew up in one of the following areas: a) a U.S. rural area, as designated by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Rural Health Grants Eligibility Analyzer or b) a Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services-designated Low-Income and Health Professional Shortage Areas; students from low socioeconomic (SES) status backgrounds.
d) Women from the above backgrounds (categories 1a, 1b, 1c) who face particular challenges at the graduate level and beyond in scientific fields as described in Women, Minorities, and Persons with Disabilities in Science and Engineering.
2) All applicants should also
a) Be a Citizen or Permanent Resident of the United States.
b) Be current UConn Health or UConn Storrs graduate student who has completed their first or second year of PhD training.
c) Demonstrate high motivation and potential to become a basic, clinical, or translational scientist with an interest in the field of Regeneration.
d) Have a high probability of fulfilling the educational goals of this program.
APPLICATION PROCESS
Submission Deadline
Monday, December 18, 2023
Applicants will submit their application package directly by email to Ms. Jolene Monahan Wilding, Program Manager, The Cato T. Laurencin Institute for Regenerative Engineering, at monahanwilding@uchc.edu.
Application Documents
1) NIH Fellowship Biosketch. Use the most current Fellowship Biosketch format (Rev. 10/2021 Approved Through 01/31/2026); follow the ‘Instructions for a Biographical Sketch’. This is the key document to be used for this application. Failure to complete all sections of the Biosketch will result in disqualification.
2) Letter of Recommendation. A Letter of Recommendation is required from the current UConn faculty member with whom the applicant has worked closely during doctoral program research. (A recommendation from a lab rotation mentor, major advisor, or advisory committee member is suggested but not required.)
3) Regenerative Engineering Essay. Write a one-page personal statement citing previous or ongoing regenerative engineering research experience, expressing interest in pursuing career as scientist in the field of regeneration, and elaborating on how this program will assist in achievement of career goals. (The essay is not to exceed one page, single spaced, 12-point font, 1-inch margins; no attachments.)
Important Note
Acceptance to be included in the cohort proposed by the Cato T. Laurencin Institute for Regenerative Engineering does not guarantee funding. NIH ultimately selects the institutions to be awarded the Supplement.
For more information, contact: Jolene Monahan Wilding at monahanwilding@uchc.edu