Recipient Organization
WESTERN UNIVERSITY OF HEALTH SCIENCES
309 EAST SECOND STREET
POMONA,CA 91766
Performing Department
CVM
Non Technical Summary
Veterinarians are uniquely positioned to address issues surrounding agricultural animal health and food-borne illness, to ensure sustainable food production while protecting public health. However, the role and inclusion of veterinary researchers remains a limitation to the creation of interdisciplinary teams dedicated to these issues. Early exposure to research has been found to influence the career path of early scholars. This proposed project will provide 1st and 2nd year veterinary students with 11-weeks of hands-on research experience on a project relevant to the USDA AHDR program, under the direct mentorship of a faculty actively engaged in this field of research. This practical experience will be complemented with group training sessions focusing on career paths relevant to USDA and responsible conduct of research. This immersion in research is expected to inspire the scholar to explore research as a potential career option, and ultimately, join the ranks of interdisciplinary scientists contributing to the mission of USDA.
Animal Health Component
50%
Research Effort Categories
Basic
50%
Applied
50%
Developmental
(N/A)
Goals / Objectives
Major GoalsThe over-arching goal of this project is to train the future workforce of veterinarians contributing to the mission of the USDA. The short-term goal of this project is to engage a veterinary student in research relevant to the goals of the USDA AHDR-Sec1433 Program. This goal will be achieved by enrolling a first or second year veterinary student in an 11-week long summer scholar program, under the mentorship of a faculty with active research that focuses on agricultural animal health, public health, prevention of food-borne illness, or agricultural health by preventing and mitigating the spread of agricultural pests and diseases (see examples of WesternU faculty conducting research relevant to USDA below). This hands-on experience will be complemented by group training sessions and workshops focused on responsible conduct of research and career paths relevant to USDA. The funding provided by USDA AHDR-Sec1433 Program, will be supplemented by the College to provide a $5000 stipend to the scholar. In addition, the WesternU-College of Veterinary Medicine will provide $2000 to cover the cost of supplies. The immediate outcome of this project will consist of the scholar's presentation of his/her research results at the annual National Veterinary Scholars Symposium, with all associated costs covered by the College.This training program will have five specific objectives.To train students in research design and grantsmanship.To understand and follow responsible conduct in research.To instruct students in research methodology and acquire technical skills required to carry out research relevant to the goals of the USDA AHDR-Sec1433 Program.To gain experience in interpretation and dissemination of results.To expose students to research career and training pathways relevant to USDA.Program feasibility, FTE allocation, and resources.This training is primarily designed to provide hands-on experience to veterinary students, in research relevant to USDA. This program is in line with the Veterinary Scholars Program that the College of Veterinary Medicine at Western University has managed for the past decade. During this time, we have developed an infrastructure that will support student researchers conducting short-term research at every stage: from pairing students with faculty mentors, to providing in-lab training, to support with the dissemination of results. The proposed Animal Health and Disease Research Training Program will support a veterinary scholar interested in research important to USDA AHDR-1433. As such, our infrastructure has the human capital, equipment, and support to ensure the success of the student. This support includes the following FTE allocations: faculty mentorship (5%), technical support from a staff scientist (15% FTE), and administrative support (5%). Experiential learning has a profound influence of students' career paths. We expect that this direct exposure to issues relevant to USDA will inspire students to seek further training and engagement in this field.Faculty with active research relevant to USDA AHDRDr. Yvonne Drechsler: Genome-wide annotation of cis-regulatory elements in the chicken genome. (R17IACUC051, Approved 8/23/17)Dr. Brian Oakley: Building strain libraries as alternatives to antibiotic growth promoters in broiler chickens.Dr. Maisie Dawes: Viral infections in disease resistant and disease susceptible haplotype chickens. (R15IACUC030 Approved 12/15/15, Renewal 12/15/18)Dr. Stewart Morgan: Food animal health and nutrition.Dr. James Reynolds: Food animal welfare
Project Methods
Student Eligibility: Students must have completed at least one year of a DVM curriculum, be currently enrolled, and in good academic (GPA > 3.0) standing at their University. Students must commit to attend all training opportunities, including the National Veterinary Scholars Symposium (NVSS).Selection of Faculty Mentors: Faculty members who hold an advanced degree in research (MS or PhD), and are actively engaged in a research project relevant to the USDA AHDR, are eligible to mentor students. Mentors must hold an appointment in CVM. Candidate mentors submit a letter of support as part of the application process, stating their ability to support the project financially, and their commitment to provide direct supervision of students.Application process and criteria for selection: Students must submit electronically to the CVM Research Office, by February 11, 2021: 1) a grant proposal for a project relevant to USDA. 2) an application form including statement of career goals, learning objectives for this program, biographical information, GPA, and a commitment to participate in all group training activities, and present a poster at NVSS; 3) a letter of support from the mentor. Scholars will be selected based on a rubric available taking into consideration scientific merit of the project, relevance to USDA AHDR, feasibility within the timeframe of the program, relevance to the career goals of the student, student's achievement, mentorship, and breadth of learning objectives. Each application is scored by at least three independent reviewers. Reviewers are selected preferably among the Research Advisory Committee. Other research faculty may volunteer, if need, to have enough reviewers without conflict of interest. Scores are averaged and standardized for reviewer' severity of scoring, prior to ranking. Results are shared with the selected applicant, so that the student can address the reviewer comments, and update their proposal to incorporate the feedback received.Advertising: Year 1 and Year 2 students are immediately informed of research opportunities during their yearly orientation, with a presentation by Dr. Griffon. Faculty are kept informed during faculty meetings, and through an annual Fall report summarizing the evaluations from students and mentors engaged in the program. Summer research opportunities are presented by Dr. Griffon during a lunch meeting for students and mentors in November, with a follow-up in January. A list of potential mentors conducting research, including those relevant to USDA, is distributed during the presentations and electronically, as well as posted online. When funding is confirmed, students and faculty will also be informed by email, and the information will be updated on the WesternU CVM Research Website: http://www.westernu.edu/veterinary/veterinary-research-overview/vsrp-application-and-sponsors/. The WesternU website features a current list of eligible mentors, the application form, and instructions for electronic (email) submission of application materials, and description of past programs. Reminders are sent periodically to students and faculty until the deadline for applications. Students and faculty are invited to contact Dr. Griffon directly with individual questions.The program: The learning objectives and means to achieve those are outlined below:To train students in research design and grantsmanship:Students will prepare a hypothesis-driven grant proposal under the guidance of their proposed mentor, and submit it as part of the application process. Seminars during the summer will focus on study design and principles of grant writing, providing an avenue for students to reflect on their proposal.To understand and follow responsible conduct in research:Students will take an online training and pass a test before working in the laboratories. Our orientation will include presentations and demonstrations of laboratory safety procedures, including tours of research laboratories. Data management, and contemporary issues in research ethics will be discussed by faculty through presentations, group discussions, interactive class sessions and mock scenarios. Research Associates and mentors will provide direct supervision of students in the laboratories, and ensure applications of the principles discussed in group training sessions.To instruct students in research methodology and acquire relevant technical skills:This objective will largely be met through one-on-one interactions with mentors actively engaged in research relevant to USDA (see list above), as students will work full time on their project, and be engaged in all phases from study design to dissemination of results. This experience will be completed by seminars focusing on study design, justification of sample size, and current techniques in biomedical research.To gain experience in interpretation and dissemination of results:Students will receive assistance to analyze their own data during a workshop at the end of the program. They will also attend a writing class to help them write a CV, draft a manuscript, and understand the path to publish scientific articles. They will prepare a poster after attending a seminar and under guidance from their faculty, for presentation at the BI-NIH Symposium and will give a podium presentation at the annual WesternU, Student Technology And Research Symposium (STARS) in Fall, and/or College Research Day in Spring.To expose students to research career and training pathways relevant to USDA:This objective will be delivered through a presentation by an external, keynote speaker, 2 field trips, social events between scholars and mentors at Western U and networking at the BI-NIH Symposium.