GRADUATE RESEARCH IN IMMUNOLOGY PROGRAM (GRIP): TO TRAIN GRADUATE STUDENTS FOR SUCCESSFUL CAREERS IN ACADEMIA, INDUSTRY AND GOVERNMENT

ThisT32applicationseekssupportforaGraduateResearchinImmunologyProgram(GRIP)attheUniversityofTexasHealthScienceCenterSanAntonio(UTHealthSA).GRIPwilltrainthreePhD,DDS/PhDandMD/PhDstudentsperyearforsuccessfulcareersinacademia,industryorgovernment.Itintegratestheresearchactivitiesof the UT Long School of Medicine basic science and clinical departments/centers, which includes the NCI-Designated UT Health MD Anderson Cancer Center SA, the NIH/CTSA-supported UT Health Institute forIntegrationofMedicineandScience(UTIIMS),aswellasthelocalaffiliateTexasBiomedicalResearchInstituteand UT System sister institution University of Texas San Antonio (UTSA). With a strong biomedical researchpresence, an emerging biotech industry and the greatest countrywide concentration of military biomedicalactivities,SanAntonio,naturalcapitalofSouthTexas,completes,withDallasandHouston,theTexasbiomedicaltriangle. The home to GRIP will be the UT Long School of Medicine Dept. of Microbiology, Immunology &Molecular Genetics (MIMG), an academic, scientific and administrative structure promoting, fostering andintegrating research and training in molecular and cell mechanisms of innate and adaptive immunity, B and Tcell biology, antibody gene expression and epigenetics, immunology of aging, autoimmunity, microbialpathogenesis and cancer immunology. GRIP will be led by the new MIMG chairman, Dr. Paolo Casali, arenownedimmunologist,accomplishedgraduateeducatorandformerdirectorofNIHgraduatetrainingprogramsinimmunology.GRIPcountsonthecontributionof32preceptors,manyofthemleadersintheirfields,5supportfacultyand6facultycareeradvisorsfromMIMGandotherdepartments.ItwillbenefitfromanExternalAdvisoryBoard of well-known immunologists. GRIP trainees will be selected from a diverse and outstanding pool ofstudentswithinanexistingImmunology-focusedPh.D.program.TheuniqueUTHealthSAenvironmentprovidesa natural incubator for translational research training. Thus, GRIP provides enriched training opportunitiesthroughaTranslationalSciencesCertificateProgram,andprovidesanIndividualizedDevelopmentPlanforeachtrainee,strongResponsibleConductofResearchmentoring,athoroughProgressEvaluationPlanandaccessto a robust Office of Career Development. UT Health SA, a Department of Education-Designated Hispanic-ServingInstitution,hasdevelopedaggressiveoutreachprogramstoattractunderrepresentedminoritystudents(URMs). URM Trainees have been critical to UT Health SA success and will be an integral part of GRIP. UTHealth SA institutional commitment for GRIP is strong, providing 10% salary support to the Program Director,matchingsupportforanadditional4thtrainingslot,andsignificantstipendsupplementalsupportforeachtrainee.Thus, by leveraging existing local strengths, GRIP will provide individualized and multidisciplinary training forgraduatestudentstobecomeleadersindiverseandevolvingbiomedicalfields.