Targeted Research Training (TRT)

Targeted Research Training

Program Director: David Christiani, MD, MPH

The Targeted Research Training Fellowships are intended to promote interdisciplinary research training in occupational health and safety. The program is intended for doctoral preparation mainly.  The application process is competitive, but trainees receive a stipend for living expenses and tuition and fees, as well as partial support towards research expenses. They are expected to attend a monthly training seminar which alternates between sessions where they discuss their research progress and any problems experienced and sessions involving interdisciplinary research training, of a type not usually received during academic classes. Before applying to the TRT, applicants should be accepted into their program by one of the other ERC Program Directors.

Trainees

Trainees supported in the program may be PhD degree-seeking students from OSH or non-OSH core or allied disciplines and postdoctoral trainees in an OSH core or closely allied program area, such as epidemiologic methods, genetics, bioinformatics/computational biology, and social/behavioral sciences. Trainees’ research training is directed by an ERC faculty or faculty with strong research experience in OSH or faculty in an allied discipline. Doctoral and postdoctoral trainees will therefore have a mentoring committee with faculty from different disciplines.

The TRT Program allows trainees from various disciplines to acquire strong skills in:

  • research design, development, and epidemiological methods
  • quantitative methods (biostatistics, bioinformatics, big data analysis, computational biology)
  • development and application of biomarkers of exposure, outcome, and susceptibility
  • survey design and execution
  • measures of outcomes
  • impact assessment and health communication
  • responsible conduct of research, ethics, and regulatory principles