RI-INBRE Workforce Development & Training (WDT)

We inaugurated our WDT program in 2023 with funding from the RI Department of Labor & Training (DLT). The program focuses on intensive, hands-on biomedical skills training and capitalizes on RI-INBRE Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) internship programs and well-maintained instrument core facilities. The RI-INBRE WDT program provides trainees with valuable laboratory skills, making our WDT trainees preferred hires for biotech jobs.  We offered 8 WDT skillset modules in our inaugural year, 2023. In 2024, we added six new topics and offered 14 modules, which was concluded on July 26. The course overview, learning outcomes, resources, and timelines are detailed here.    https://web.uri.edu/riinbre/workforce-development-andtraining-program/

Participants in the SURF internship program from all nine RI-INBRE network institutions have a unique opportunity to benefit significantly from the WDT program. Expert faculty and staff design and conduct intensive 2.5-day training modules for small groups of 4-8 trainees, ensuring each participant receives significant individual attention. This personalized approach enhances the quality of the training and is offered to participants for free, demonstrating our commitment to their development. Upon completing a training module, participants earn a certificate and valuable credentials, further highlighting the privilege and value of their participation.

Detecting and Separating Small Molecules

Implementing our WDT program in 2023 was a significant milestone in our recent successful 5-year RI-INBRE renewal application ($21M, 2024-2029). This renewal, which you can read more about on our website, is a testament to our commitment to creating a sustainable WDT program. This program is a vital part of our long-standing training efforts to prepare the next generation of biomedical scientists. We are grateful for the continued support from RI-DLT, which we consider a great NIH (federal)-DLT (state) collaboration to improve biomedical research capacity. With a successful pilot program under its belt, the RI Department of Labor and Training has awarded the RI-INBRE Workforce Development and Training (WDT) funding for the 2024-2025 year. The Workforce Development started for the Summer 2024 session (May 22 – July 26, 2024). The WDT offered 14 diverse modules: 13 will be offered at URI, and one module was offered at the Community College of Rhode Island.Enzyme-Drug Assays

WDT continues to provide trainees with valuable skills to the biotechnology industry. Training in the theory and practice of operating advanced biomedical research instrumentation will make the trainees preferred new hires for chemical and biotechnology companies once they graduate and pursue biotechnology jobs. [see more at WDT webpage]