Each year of the RRTC: Health & Wellness, we offer graduate and post-doctoral training opportunities in research, leadership, and administration. Postdoctoral fellows work with us full-time for 1-2 years, post-MPHs work full-time for up to 10-12 months, graduate research assistants (GRAs) work up to .5 FTE and typically work with us for 10-12 months. We actively recruit potential participants in the identified fields who have a disability.

Outcomes: 1) Increased knowledge and awareness of barriers and access strategies to routine health care, evidence-based health promotion programs, and standard health status measurement tools; 2) Increased capacity to infuse disability and health awareness into broader disciplines.

Target Audience: Graduate students are recruited at the partner institutions from a range of relevant academic programs (e.g., public health, rehabilitation counseling, social welfare, psychology, nutrition, occupational and physical therapy). Postdoctoral fellows are recruited nationally from a range of disciplines and research training programs.

Outputs: Anticipate 7 postdoctoral fellows, 20 GRAs.

Venue: OHSU and partner institutions in Oregon, Montana, Illinois, Florida, Texas and Kansas.

Activities:

Recruit GRAs, post-MPH and postdoctoral fellows: GRAs are recruited from local graduate student programs, and a national recruitment effort is mounted for the recruitment of postdoctoral fellows, including affirmative efforts to recruit appropriate candidates with disabilities.

Provide the GRA/Fellowship training experience: Learning contracts are developed with students to customize to their needs and interests, to clarify expectations, and determine supports/accommodations at the outset. OHSU students are involved in every aspect of RRTC operations, including administration, research and training activities. Core staff conduct didactic training, assist trainees to design and implement an individual project, organize a bi-weekly journal club on Disabilities and Health, provide mentorship and peer support as needed. Postdoctoral fellows and most GRAs participate in the center for 1-2 years. Masters students from OHSU are encouraged to conduct their masters thesis research with the center. Students are fully registered at OHSU as a part of the ongoing Oregon Institute on Disability & Development (OIDD) Interdisciplinary Training Program or at their host institution. Postdoctoral fellows are expected to develop at least 2 manuscripts for publication each year and one grant proposal.

Evaluate training program experience: We evaluate trainee learning and satisfaction quarterly during the year, and revise the program to be responsive to needs.