Creating the Next Generation of Scholars in CM Science (CMT32)

NICHD T32 HD101390
Administered in: Social Science Research Institute

Visit the Creating the Next Generation of Scholars in Child Maltreatment Science website

Abstract:

This is the first competitive renewal of Penn State’s Child Maltreatment T32 (CMT32), which provides rigorous, cutting-edge, transdisciplinary pre- and postdoctoral training in the area of child maltreatment (CM) science. The CMT32 is the only NICHD-funded training grant that is exclusively focused on child maltreatment. Trainees receive training across four key areas – biology and health, developmental processes, prevention and treatment, and policy and administrative data systems – and work within a dual mentorship model, including working closely with primary faculty mentors who belong to Penn State’s Child Maltreatment Solutions Network. During the first funding period, the CMT32 successfully recruited and trained 20 pre- and postdoctoral scholars and the training program had 100% retention. Despite the program being relatively young, these past and current trainees are already beginning to make a meaningful impact on the field of CM science. They have been highly productive (e.g., in terms of publications), engaged (e.g., via their work on policy briefs), and successful in obtaining competitive faculty and other research-intensive positions. The grant includes a strong team of 32 mentors from across Penn State. The training environment at Penn State is excellent and trainees will benefit, among other things, from resources within the Child Maltreatment Solutions Network, the larger Social Science Research Institute, and Penn State University’s Translational P50 Capstone Center for Child Maltreatment Studies, the first such Center funded by the NICHD. During the second cycle, trainees will be receiving training across the above four identified key areas via a core curriculum created specifically for this training program, grant writing, community engagement, policy, and ethical issues related to CM science. They will actively work towards high-impact peer-reviewed empirical papers and grant submissions and have access to tailored professional development opportunities. The CMT32 provides unique access to training resources that were created specifically for and are only available through this training grant program. The second cycle will include important updates based on lessons learned during the first funding cycle. This will ensure that the program will continue to evolve, stay relevant, and provide the strongest possible training for up-and-coming scholars interested in leveraging transdisciplinary approaches to address CM and its associated consequences.