Harvard Kidney, Urology and Hematology Training Institute (HKUHTI)

Four major Harvard teaching hospitals, Brigham & Women’s Hospital (BWH), Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC), Boston Children’s Hospital (BCH), and Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), and Harvard Medical School-Division of Medical Sciences (HMS-DMS) Departments propose the Harvard Kidney, Urology,

and Hematology Training Institute (HKUHTI). Our mission is to nurture the professional and personal development of a diverse group of trainees in leading-edge basic, clinical, and translational research. We will provide the knowledge and support structure that will serve as a foundation for a successful

impactful career in the pursuit of new insight and new therapies for KUH disease processes across the lifespan. Our vision is to cultivate a dynamic and diverse community of lifetime future global leaders in research and innovation. We will establish a supportive learning environment that is trainee-focused,

collaborative, interdisciplinary, and highly interactive, with supportive feedback to trainees and program evolution driven by feedback from trainees and faculty. HKUHTI faculty, trainees and alumni will not only be well-versed in the latest technologies and methodologies but also will be deeply committed to ethical

and responsible conduct of research. Building on Harvard’s interdisciplinary and collaborative training record, we will engage pre- and postdoctoral trainees, who will benefit from highly accomplished mentors, an individual oversight committee, an individual training plan, a holistic training curriculum that focuses on personal as well as

professional growth, near-peer and peer-to-peer mentoring opportunities, and a feedback evaluation system that allows for ongoing input and dynamic responses to ensure optimal outcomes. Aim 1. Recruit and retain trainees from diverse scientific, racial, and socio-economic backgrounds; expose them to a holistic

interdisciplinary research training experience with milestones; and develop methods to track, monitor and evaluate trainee progress and mentor effectiveness. We request support for 24 postdoctoral and 10 predoctoral trainees. We have recruited 84 experienced mentors with active, NIH-supported research programs

($1.02 million direct costs/mentor). Aim 2. Coordinate and track trainee and mentor professional development and enable exposure to state-of-the-art technologies and large data analytics. The HKUHTI will create a KUH minicourse and organize a monthly seminar series and annual retreat. We will facilitate

exposure to large data analytics and innovative technologies, management skills and the pharmaceutical and biotech industry. Aim 3. Establish a Harvard-wide, multidisciplinary, collaborative, educational, and social network incorporating near-peer mentoring and outreach to high school and undergraduate students.

We will foster formal and informal interactions among trainees at various stages of development with patient imput. Validated evaluation tools will be integrated with twice yearly trainee and mentor evaluation, and an annual program evaluation.