Training Requirements

All NIH T32 trainees must have an account within eRA Commons. Once the account is active, trainees need to complete the Personal Profile within the eRA Commons xTrain system. For trainees with existing accounts, please verify personal profile information is complete and up-to-date. Personal profiles must be current and complete before the appointment form, PHS 2271 (link contains form instructions), can be routed to the trainee. The eRA Commons Help System and User Guide provide detailed instructions on setting up personal profiles. Trainees must respond to emails from NIH’s eRA Commons in a timely manner and complete and route forms as instructed within the xTrain system.

T32 Grant Support Acknowledgement

Trainees appointed on this federally-funded training grant are required to acknowledge this T32’s support as detailed in the NIH Notice of Grant Award. Each publication, press release, or other document about research supported by an NIH award must include an acknowledgment of NIH award support and a disclaimer such as “Research reported in this publication was supported by the National Human Genome Research Institute of the National Institutes of Health under Award Number 1T32 HG008955-01. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.”

Trainees should cite the T32 as a source of support if the publication, abstract or presentation resulted from work conducted while the individual was supported by the grant (i.e., receiving a stipend) as per NOT-OD-15-091.

NIH Public Access Policy

All publications and abstracts resulting from NIH support must be in compliance with the NIH Public Access Policy. Lack of compliance can jeopardize the funding of this T32 grant. Notification of accepted publications and abstracts acknowledging T32 support must be emailed by the trainee and/or mentor to Dr. Susanne Haga within 30 days of acceptance. Review Frequently Asked Questions about the NIH Public Access Policy.

My NCBI Bibliography

Trainees must keep their My NCBI Bibliography up-to-date. Trainees should always use their eRA Commons login to access My NCBI. The My NCBI Bibliography should be a complete list of all of the trainee’s publications to date. Trainees should ensure that the appropriate grants are associated with each publication, matching those listed in the acknowledgments/funding source section the publication. My NCBI Bibliography, provides helpful information to establish your page. Review Frequently Asked Questions about the My Bibliography.

NIH Biosketch

It is also highly recommended that trainees create and maintain a NIH formatted biosketch. Information including examples and formats (for pre and postdocs) can be found in this NIH Notice.

The NHGRI Annual Meeting is a venue for trainees supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) / National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) in Genomic Sciences, Genomic Medicine and Ethical, Legal and Social Implications (ELSI) fields to present their research and form collaborations with other trainees and established researchers from training programs across the United States.

(per NIH Policy NOT-OD-14-113)

At the beginning of the research training period, mentors work with trainees to develop a written individual development plan (IDP), which includes a set of activities and goals including didactic courses, ongoing conferences and seminars, as well as the mentored research project. Postdocs being supported by NIH funding must maintain an Individual Development Plan (IDP). An IDP is a dynamic document that identifies career goals, sets a path and helps trainees manage their career development plans. The IDP should be drafted by the trainee and discussed and reviewed with their mentor(s), at minimum, every 6 months. Input from secondary mentors and beyond is encouraged. 

Each spring, this T32 grant is required to submit a progress report to the NIH NHGRI. Each trainee will prepare a summary (in the third person) of their course work, training, skills, and research project experiences during the reporting period; progress reports should be reviewed with their mentor(s) prior to submitting. Any work on publications or conference presentations and honors or fellowships, etc. should also be mentioned in the paragraphs. A listing of publications, abstracts and presentations accomplished during the reporting period will also be collected. If the T32 grant is not a source of support for a listed item, an explanation must be provided. Publications must be in NIH Public Access format. A listing of the grants the trainee is involved with is also required and all grants must be provided in the following format: Name of grant, funding institution, grant number(A01 AA123456-01), last name(s) of grant PI/co-PI(s), IRB or IACUC number(s) approval through date(s).

It is highly recommended trainees keep their T32 training grant progress report document and publications/presentations listings up-to-date at all times.

Genomic Medicine Research Project(s)

Provide a detailed description of the genomic medicine research project(s) you are involved with or have initiated during your time of support on this T32. Include the methodology, utility/significance of the proposed results, and how it fits into your career trajectory. Include the support information for the project beyond your support from the T32 – ex. your mentor’s R01 grant number.

• Peer-Reviewed Papers (in print or press)
  • Must be compliant with the NIH Public Access Policy!
  • Format Example: Vander Velde, J.J. and Riley, E.P.[List all authors] Title of the paper. Journal Name, 20xx[year];X[issue number]:123-127[page numbers]. PMCID: PMC9999999
• Submitted Manuscripts
  • Format Example: Vander Velde, J.J. and Riley, E.P. Title of the paper. Journal Name, Submitted Month 20xx.
• Manuscripts in Preparation
  • Format Example: Vander Velde, J.J. and Riley, E.P. (In Preparation). Title of the paper.
• Conference Abstracts and Presentations
  • Format Example: Vander Velde, J.J. and Riley, E.P. Title. Presented at the Name of the Meeting, City, State, Month 20xx. [If it is a published abstract also include: Journal Name, 20xx;X(Supplement SX):123A.]

Research fellows in this program will have access to a large variety of didactic training options through select courses, research forums and degree-granting programs offered at Duke University. The ultimate didactic training plan for each trainee will be developed in conjunction with their principal research mentor, along with Susanne Haga, to provide a truly personalized approach to training that will balance specific coursework and experiential training.

The proposed required coursework is intended to provide the next generation of genomic medicine researchers with a strong foundation in clinical research, biostatistics and responsible conduct of research. 

The elective course is intended to complement trainees' genomic medicine research focus. We anticipate that formal training in genetics/genomics and clinical research will vary substantially between trainees as some trainees will have a strong background in the foundational coursework and therefore can opt-out of the core courses or enroll in more advanced training (formal or informal) to further their knowledge or skill set relevant to their research or clinical goals in genomic medicine. 

Required courses include:

• Principles of Clinical Research (CRP 242) (FALL)
• Introduction to Statistical Methods (CRP 241) (FALL)
• Research Ethics & Responsible Conduct in Research (CRP 253) (SPRING)

These courses are offered in the Duke University Medical Center’s Clinical Research Training Program (CRTP) Trainees have the option to pursue the degree option associated with this training program - a Master of Health Sciences in Clinical Research.

Elective courses can be reviewed through the DukeHub course catalog and CRTP curricula

All trainees will be required to attend a yearly retreat* and select at least one regular informal seminar series offered through Duke University or Duke University Medical Center to supplement their coursework and research in an area of interest to them; options below. In addition, several additional learning opportunities are available for trainees to pursue that have been developed by Duke faculty to enhance skills and knowledge in genomic medicine research and practice. CAGPM coordinates or participates in numerous educational activities that the trainees will be required to participate (e.g., journal clubs, retreats, seminars.)

• CAGPM Retreat: To strengthen the cohesiveness the Center's faculty, staff, and initiatives, including the training program, the CAGPM sponsors a yearly retreat.  All trainees and mentors are expected to attend. The retreat provides both a learning and networking opportunity amongst faculty and trainees and offers trainees a chance to present their work, learn from others, and develop collaborative relationships between trainees.
• Genomic and Precision Medicine Forum: A weekly seminar series (Fall/Spring) organized by the CAGPM. Speakers include Duke faculty and national and international distinguished scientists on an array of basic and applied genomics topics.
• ELSI Point/CounterPoint Series: Trainees will be required to participate in a monthly series devoted to exploring a range of ethical, legal, and social issues (ELSI) raised by genomic sciences and medicine. Trainees will be required to review the literature about a given topic (a recommended reading list provided in advance) and be prepared to engage in a debate-style discussion to consider different viewpoints on the issue. This interactive series will focus on current ELSI issues pertaining to both research and clinical applications of genomic medicine.

*Requirement may be adjusted pending COVID-19 protocol

Optional Learning Opportunities:

• Precision Medicine Academy offers a suite of online courses on different topics related to precision medicine by Duke Adjunct Professor, Jeanette McCarthy, MPH, PhD
• Computational Biology Seminar Series
• Duke Scholars in Molecular Medicine Program
• Data Science and Analytics workshop 

To provide trainees with the opportunity to become familiar with core genome science applications, trainees will be required to rotate through 2 core laboratories that are relevant to their research during the first year of their training. These rotations are intended to provide trainees with first-hand knowledge/experience with data generation in the core genomic sciences. Trainees will gain, from “soup to nuts,” the practical issues that underlie sample generation, processing/preparation, and primary data generation. 

View the core laboratories available for rotations

To provide trainees with the foundation for practicing genomic medicine we have designed the following clinical training experience. Each trainee will complete a one-month rotation through each of the existing Duke genomic medicine clinics:

• Hereditary cancer clinic (Director: Carolyn Menendez, MD)
• Adult cardiovascular genetics clinic (Director: Svati Shah, MD)
• Genomic sequencing clinic (Director: Vandana Shashi, MD)
• Primary care risk assessment (Director: Lori Orlando, MD)