Free Workshop: Navigating New NIGMS Training Guidelines

By: Elizabeth Barksdale
Thursday, January 11, 2018

Earlier this year the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) released its new Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) for predoctoral institutional training grants, or T32s. The FOA outlines ambitious goals for training programs with the stated objective of developing a “diverse pool of well-trained scientists” with a broad base of technical, operational, and professional skills that will enable them to contribute – in many capacities – to the biomedical research workforce. How the training community interprets those goals and implements changes could have long-lasting effects on the conduct of biomedical graduate education.

FASEB, the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC), the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI), and the Council of Graduate Schools (CGS) are helping the training community respond to the new goals and directives by hosting a workshop, “Navigating New NIGMS Training Guidelines.” This day-long event will be held Monday, February 12, at AAMC headquarters in Washington, DC, and will run from 7:30 am to 3:30 pm, ET.

The objective of the workshop is to identify best practices and existing resources to address the expectations laid out in the new FOA, and to identify areas that need novel resources and approaches to be developed. It will feature small and large group discussions on themes appearing throughout the FOA, including: implementing evidence-based approaches to learning, mentorship, diversity and inclusion, and professional development; identifying and assessing measurable outcomes; and enhancing scientific rigor. This will not be a grant-writing workshop, but participants will be better prepared to generate a T32 application that is responsive to key aspects of the FOA.

There is no cost to register for the workshop but participants are responsible for travel and lodging costs. Please contact Libby Barksdale at ebarksdale@faseb.org for registration or additional information.