Applications for T32 research training program open July 27

By Roman Petrowski, McGovern Communications
Close-up of a researcher wearing blue gloves using a microscope while carefully manipulating a specimen on a glass slide with laboratory tools. Blurred laboratory equipment in the foreground emphasizes the biomedical research setting.

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Clinical and translational research trainees have an opportunity to receive dedicated funding, advanced training, and mentorship through the Center for Clinical and Translational Sciences T32 Training Program beginning July 27.

The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center UTHealth Houston Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences is accepting applications, with appointments beginning Jan. 1, 2027. Co-directed by Jeffrey Frost, PhD, and Joya Chandra, PhD—both faculty members at the graduate school—the program provides up to two years of support designed to help prepare the next generation of clinical and translational scientists.

Trainees selected for the program receive:

  • Up to two years of NIH-funded stipend support
  • Partial support for tuition, health insurance, and travel
  • Specialized education and professional development in clinical and translational science
  • Mentorship and resources to help accelerate research careers

The program is open to eligible trainees conducting clinical or translational research, including:

  • Full-time PhD students in their second or third year
  • MD/PhD students in their first or second PhD year
  • Postdoctoral scholars within their first two years of postdoctoral training
  • MD scholars in clinical training programs with at least 90% protected research time

Applicants must be in good academic standing and affiliated with UTHealth Houston, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, or another Center for Clinical and Translational Sciences-associated institution.

Research projects should have a strong scientific foundation and clear translational research potential, including work focused on:

  • Clinical or patient-oriented research
  • Disease biology or pathogenesis
  • Disease prevention or risk reduction
  • Research with potential clinical applications
  • Therapeutic strategies
  • Drug development

Appointments are for a minimum of 12 months and may be competitively renewed for a maximum of two years based on annual performance reviews and fulfillment of program expectations.

Applications open July 27 and close August 28. Trainees interested in applying can find the application through the program website (external link). Questions may be directed to Jewel Elliot, program manager in the Dean’s Office at UT MD Anderson UTHealth Houston Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences.