See the TRTH Applications Procedures for more information or contact training@ehaweb.org.

About

Translational Research Training in Hematology (TRTH) provides young researchers with a unique, year-long training and mentoring experience. The program is a joint effort of ASH and European Hematology Association (EHA) and is focused on helping early-career scientists build successful careers in hematologic translational research, including pathogenesis, diagnostics, and experimental treatment of hematological disorders.

Twenty early-career scientists are selected each year to participate in this rigorous training program. TRTH faculty are international leaders in hematology who cover biostatistics and biomarkers, genetics and molecular biology, ethics, and phase I clinical study design.

Educational Objectives of the Curriculum

The TRTH program offers trainees the opportunity to:

• Understand the principles of translational research design and execution, including clinical trials with correlative science objectives.
• Detail the ethical and regulatory issues of translational research.
• Learn the fundamentals of competitive grant writing, abstract presentation, and manuscript preparation.
• Further develop and improve the quality of their own research proposals through input from faculty and peers.
• Learn strategies for pursuing and developing a successful career in hematology research.
• Discuss approaches to forming and sustaining a multi-disciplinary translational research team.
• Practice and advice on presenting your work to diverse audiences and preparing research results for publication.
• Develop contact with other trainees to facilitate future collaboration.
• Meet leaders in translational and clinical research who can enhance professional networking opportunities.

The Year-Long TRTH Program

There are three components of the TRTH program: a week-long spring course, a meeting at the EHA Annual Congress where trainees work on refining their research proposals and a meeting at the ASH Annual Meeting where trainees make a final presentation on the status of their research. Attendance at all three meetings is mandatory.

Spring Course

The TRTH program begins with an intensive week-long course held in the spring. Mornings are dedicated to didactic and interactive sessions which further trainees understanding of translational research methodology and regulatory requirements. Afternoons are devoted to small group sessions in which trainees meet with their TRTH mentors, peers, and faculty to refine their individual research proposals. Informal presentations by leading in hematology experts, designed to illustrate the variety of pathways to a successful career in hematology research, take place in the evenings.

The week-long spring course includes the following components:

• Principles of translational research
  An overview of methodologies for designing and executing clinical research studies with laboratory correlatives will be presented. Topics will include stem cell research and animal models, live cell and in vivo imaging, flow cytometry, cell therapy, cell and biobanking, design of clinical trials, principles of bioinformatics, molecular pathogenesis including genetics and epigenetics, pharmacogenomics, diagnostics and biomarkers, and identification of molecular targets.

• Ethics in hematologic translational research
  Discussions will focus on ethical and regulatory issues in Europe and North America related to translational research. Topics will include good clinical practice (GCP), quality care assurance, good manufacturing practice (GMP), relationships with the pharmaceutical and biotech industry, and intellectual property.

• Career development insight
  Career retrospectives are provided from leading hematologists with a broad experience in translational research. Hematology pioneers will speak about their personal and career challenges and successes, and maintaining a work-life balance.

• Small-group working sessions
  Small working group sessions enables trainees to refine their research projects together with other trainees and faculty.

• Presentation of research proposals
  Trainees will present their proposals at the beginning of the course; at the end, they will present revised proposals that incorporate the changes made throughout the week.

Follow-up meetings

Two follow-up meetings provide additional opportunities for trainees to develop professional interaction with peers and mentors and refine their research proposals.

The first follow-up meeting takes place during the EHA Annual Congress in June. At this meeting TRTH trainees and faculty will continue to refine projects through small group mentoring sessions.

The second and final follow-up meeting is held in conjunction with the ASH Annual Meeting in December. During this meeting, TRTH trainees present updates on the progress of their research projects and careers since the conclusion of the spring course.

Eligibility

Applicants must meet the following criteria in order to be considered for review:

• Applicant must be a trainee or junior faculty and hold an MD and/or PhD or biomedical PhD or pharmacy PharmD degree (or equivalents).
• Applicant must be actively employed in a hematology or hematology-related research environment.
• Applicant should have less than 12 years of post-MD training or less than 8 years of post-PhD training at the time of the deadline for Letters of Intent. Exceptions may be made for interruptions in an applicant's academic pursuits; however, such circumstances must be explained by the applicant in the Letter of Intent.
• Applicant and applicant's mentor must be members of either EHA or ASH at the time of submission of the Letter of Intent and throughout the term of the award program.
• Applicants from the same program of an institution are eligible to apply; however, no more than one applicant from any one program at any one institution will be selected.

Restrictions

• Applicants with certain professional credentials will not be considered, such as private investigators, applicants holding more senior faculty positions, including being an established research group leader, and applicants who have obtained funding indicative of independent research status.
• Applicants working primarily on clinical research projects will not be considered.
• Applicants who have been granted an EHA Fellowship or an ASH Scholars Award are not eligible to apply for the TRTH program during the research period of the awarded project.
• Applicants who have been accepted to ASH's CRTI program and are still within the CRTI year are not eligible to apply for the TRTH program until after they have completed the CRTI year.

Applicants must submit all required documentation on time and meet the eligibility requirements in order to be considered.

How To Apply

TRTH Deadlines:
Letter of Intent: June 30
Full application: September 1

TRTH has a two-step application process which begins with submitting a Letter of Intent (LOI). Only selected applicants are invited to proceed to the second step of the application procedure where a full application is submitted. See the TRTH application procedures for more information on how to apply.

Guidelines

The focus of the program is on laboratory-based translational research. The proposals must be hypothesis driven and directly connected to some aspect of human biology. Projects may encompass any form of cellular, molecular, structural, biochemical, genetic, or other appropriate experimental approach using human biological material or human subjects with the aim of reaching novel insights into human biology.

Pilot and early phase clinical studies translating the laboratory discoveries "to the bedside" may be included in the proposal; however, pure clinical trial projects with laboratory correlatives will not be considered.

Proficiency in English is required. See the TRTH application procedures for more information on how to apply.

Evaluation of Applications

A study section will review all full applications. Research proposals will be evaluated on the importance of the hypothesis and specific aims, originality, clarity and feasibility, and funding for the project.
Awardees will be notified by December 1.

Costs

There is no registration or application fee, however, by applying, applicants agree that they will participate in all three meetings and respond to follow-up surveys in the future.

EHA and ASH arrange all travel and accommodation for the TRTH spring course and follow-up meetings as follows:

Spring Course

Travel, accommodation and food for the spring course are arranged and covered by EHA and ASH. Economy class airfare, up to EUR 750, is arranged and covered by EHA and ASH.

Follow-up Meetings

Travel and accommodation for follow-up meetings are arranged and covered by EHA and ASH. Economy class airfare, up to EUR 750 per meeting, is arranged and covered by EHA and ASH. Three nights accommodation, per follow-up meeting, are arranged in a designated hotel and covered by EHA and ASH.

The trainee is responsible for additional hotel nights and airfare costs above the established allowable amounts. Additional details of the TRTH travel policy are communicated to awardees upon acceptance into the program.

If there are special circumstances regarding the trainee's or institute's ability to cover additional costs, applicants are still encouraged to apply. The mentor should include an addendum that explains the financial difficulties that exist.

For more information

Please contact the EHA Executive Office at training@ehaweb.org.

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