The Ruth L. Kirschtein National Research Service Award Institutional Research Training Program (T32) provides trainees with the basic science education and research skills necessary for a successful career in academic orthopaedics. The program is an interface between basic research and clinical orthopaedics with emphasis on interdisciplinary approaches to clinically relevant research problems. The research faculty includes clinician scientists who treat patients and conduct research, and scientists who contribute to patient care through translational research. The result is a diverse program providing appropriate role models and research opportunities with direct clinical application in orthopaedic and musculoskeletal medicine.
In addition to training conducted at HSS, trainees benefit from the close collaboration with Weill Cornell Medical College and the NIH-funded Clinical and Translational Science Center (CTSC), as well as the Cornell University School of Engineering and the Cornell-HSS Program in Biomechanical Engineering. The CTSC provides considerable opportunities to trainees through formal coursework, seminars and symposia, and access to other CTSC partnering institutions in New York City. The Cornell-HSS Program provides trainees the ability to use educational, training, and research resources at the main campus in Ithaca, along with the opportunity to interact with students and faculty in disciplines related to musculoskeletal research.
Our T32 trainees have gone on to postdoctoral/faculty positions at:
Predoctoral candidates interested in an academic career in orthopaedics or musculoskeletal research must have successfully completed at least one year of course work in: the MD/PhD program at Weill Cornell Medicine in New York City, the Graduate School of Medical Sciences in New York City, or a relevant graduate field at Cornell’s main campus in Ithaca, New York.
When accepted to the program, the Trainee Advisory Committee, with representation from both Cornell and HSS, will provide mentoring and expertise in basic, translational, and clinical research. The Training Program is tailored to the needs of each trainee, but typically consists of didactic training, research experience, and programmatic activities.
Postdoctoral candidates must have completed four years of medical school, preferably in the discipline of orthopaedic surgery, with a minimum of one year of postgraduate training, or a PhD degree in a field related to musculoskeletal research.
The postdoctoral component of the program is intended to encompass at least two years of training. Under the supervision of the Trainee Advisory Committee, each trainee will participate in a series of didactic lectures covering topics such as ethics in research, authorship, career development milestones, and intellectual property, intended to strengthen her/his research and professional development. All trainees are offered the opportunity to partake of classes and courses offered at the Clinical and Translational Science Center at Weill Cornell Medicine.
Predoctoral and postdoctoral positions on the T32 Musculoskeletal Training Program become available on a rolling basis. Notices of available positions will typically be posted on this website in November-December of each year.
Individuals supported by this grant must be US citizens or noncitizen nationals (permanent residents). Postdoctoral fellows must have an MD, DDS, DVM and/or PhD and have had no more than 1 year of postdoctoral support on another NIH institutional training grant or individual NIH fellowship award.
The criteria for acceptance into the program include the following:
A complete application must include the following:
Stipend levels are set by the NIH each year and vary depending on the number of years of experience. The grant also covers tuition/fees, health insurance, travel, and trainee-related expenses. Please visit http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-14-046.html for more information.
Trainees are expected to be committed to full-time research training (40 hours/week). Clinical duties must be confined to those that are an integral part of the research training experience. Postdoctoral trainees will be expected to participate regularly in program seminars and journal clubs and to apply for independent postdoctoral training while being supported by the training grant. If you have deserving individuals who are currently or will be shortly training with you, please encourage them to apply.
If you have questions about the T32 Program please contact Dr. Suzanne Maher (mahers@hss.edu; 212.606.1083), or Dr. Marjolein van der Meulen (mcv3@cornell.edu).