The purpose of this FOA is to provide support for institutional research training programs in areas relevant to the NINDS mission. These institutional research training programs should produce well-trained neuroscientists who leave the program with the research skills and scientific knowledge to make a significant contribution to neuroscience research. Programs should be designed to enhance the breadth and depth of training in NINDS mission areas by incorporating didactic, research and career development components in the context of a defined scientific theme. Programs may support basic, clinical and/or translational research. Critical components of programs supported by this FOA include mechanisms to ensure a thorough understanding of experimental design, strong statistics and analytical skills, and skills for communicating science, both orally and in writing, to a wide variety of audiences. Regardless of theme, programs should provide opportunities and activities that will foster the development of quantitative literacy and the application of quantitative approaches to the trainees' research. NINDS institutional training programs are intended to be 1-2 years in duration and support training of one or more of the following groups: dissertation stage predoctoral students in their 3rd and/or 4th year of graduate school, postdoctoral fellows and fellowship-stage clinicians. (NINDS does not support first or second year graduate students under this PAR).
