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ASH-EHA Translational Research Training in Hematology (TRTH) is intended for trainees and junior faculty engaged in laboratory-based translational and basic science research. Trainees and faculty holding MDs, MD/PhDs, biomedical PhDs, or pharmacy PharmDs (or equivalents) are encouraged to apply.

The TRTH program includes an intensive week-long course held in the spring and year-long mentoring interaction with experts in the field. Mornings are dedicated to research seminar-style interactive sessions on translational and basic science research methodology, cutting-edge technology, and career development. Afternoons are devoted to small group sessions in which participants meet with their TRTH mentors, peers, and faculty to refine their individual research proposals and hone their scientific presentation and communication skills. Informal presentations by leaders in hematology, designed to illustrate the variety of pathways to a successful career in blood-related lab-based research, take place in the evenings. After this initial course, follow-up mentoring meetings occur throughout the year at the annual EHA and ASH meetings.

Spring Course

During the spring course, trainees participate in didactic and interactive sessions to further their understanding of translational and basic science methodology and career development; meet in small group sessions with TRTH mentors, peers, and faculty to refine their individual research proposals; and learn from leaders in the field about the variety of pathways to a successful career in hematology research.

The course includes the following components:

• Principles of translational and basic science research: Participants get an overview of methodologies for designing and executing clinical research studies with laboratory correlatives. Topics include stem cell research, animal models, live cell and in vivo imaging, flow cytometry, cell therapy, cell and biobanking, clinical trial design, principles of bioinformatics, molecular pathogenesis (including genetics, gene editing and epigenetics), pharmacogenomics, diagnostics and biomarkers, and identification of molecular targets.
• Ethics in hematologic translational and basic science research: Discussions focus on ethical and regulatory issues in Europe and North America related to translational and basic science research. Topics include good clinical practice, quality care assurance, good manufacturing practice, 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 and basic science research. Hematology pioneers speak about their personal and career challenges and successes as well as maintaining a work-life balance.
• Small-group working sessions: These daily sessions enable participants to refine their research projects by with each other and with faculty. An important part of the program, the sessions allow participants to forge bonds for collaboration and in-depth improvements of their research proposals.
• Presentation of research proposals: At the beginning of the course, participants present their proposals. At the end, they present revised proposals that incorporate the changes made throughout the week.

Follow-up Meetings

The follow-up meetings provide additional opportunities for TRTH participants to refine their research proposals through small group mentoring sessions and to interact with mentors and peers. At the final meeting, trainees present on the status of their research projects and careers.

Learning Objectives

TRTH offers trainees the opportunity to:

• Discuss the principles of translational and basic science research design and execution.
• Recognize the ethical and regulatory issues of translational and basic science research.
• Examine the fundamentals of competitive grant writing, abstract presentation, and manuscript preparation.
• Demonstrate the improvements in the quality of their own research proposals through input from faculty and peers.
• Formulate strategies for pursuing and developing a successful career in hematology and blood-related research.
• Discuss approaches to forming and sustaining a multi-disciplinary translational and basic science research team.
• Practice preparing research results and efficiently presenting your work to diverse audiences.
• Network and develop relationships with other participants to facilitate future collaboration.
• Facilitate mentor-mentee relationships with leaders in translational, basic science, and clinical research who can enhance professional networking opportunities.

Eligibility Requirements

Candidate Eligibility:

• Applicants must be a trainee or junior faculty and hold an MD and/or PhD or biomedical PhD or pharmacy PharmD degree (or equivalents) in basic and translation research in classical or malignant hematology.
• MD applicants must be within twelve years of post-graduation at the time of the deadline for full application. PhD applicants must have less than eight years of post-doc experience after graduation at the time of the deadline for full application. Applicants holding both an MD and a PhD must be within 12 years of MD-graduation. Exceptions may be made for interruptions in an applicant's academic pursuits. However, such circumstances must be explained by the applicant in the application. If you would like to request an exception, please, contact the EHA office at [email protected].
• Applicants must be actively employed in a hematology or hematology-related research environment.
• Proficiency in English is required.

Career stage:

• At time of application and for the duration of the TRTH program, eligible applicants must be a junior faculty or in classical or malignant hematology-related fellowship training.
• Fellowship training is defined as any sub-specialty training in hematology irrespective of whether this training is concurrent with another training program.

EHA and ASH membership:

• Both the applicant and the applicant's mentor should be either an EHA member, or an ASH member at the time of LOI submission and throughout the term of the award program.

Institute and Mentor:

• Applicants from the same institution are eligible to apply. However, no more than ONE participant working in the same lab/research unit will be selected and no more than TWO from the same institution.
• Applicants with the same mentor are eligible to apply. However, no more than ONE participant from a specific mentor will be selected.
• Institution is defined as the institution where the applicant will be conducting research during the TRTH Program year, NOT the location of a prior mentor or a department head at an institution the applicant may return to later.
• Mentor is defined as the research supervisor at that institution.

Project eligibility:

• The focus of the TRTH program is on laboratory-based translational research in hematology fields.
• Research projects must be hypothesis-driven and directly connected to some aspects 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.

Restrictions

• Applicants with certain professional credentials will not be considered, such as principal 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, tenure-track faculty with more than one year experience at this faculty level.
• TRTH is not designed for those with less than 2 years of postdoctoral research experience.
• Applicants working primarily on clinical research projects will not be considered.

ASH Policy:

• Applicants cannot receive multiple career development opportunities in the same program year. Participation in the TRTH program will disqualify the applicant for a Research award, CRTI program or other funding opportunities provided by ASH that start in the same calendar year that TRTH starts. However, awards may be given to previous award winners in subsequent years.
• Applicants who have been accepted to ASH's Clinical Research Training Institute (CRTI) program and are still within the CRTI program year are not eligible to apply for the TRTH program until after completion of the CRTI year.

EHA Policy:

• Please see regarding multiple career development opportunities.
• Applicants must be in the possession of a valid passport and permits that allow them to travel abroad.

Application Process

TRTH has a two-step application process, which begins with the submission of a letter of intent (LOI). Only those who meet the LOI requirements will be invited to submit a full application.

To view detailed application requirements and begin the application process, please visit the .

Terms and Conditions

There is no registration or application fee for TRTH; however, by applying, applicants agree to participate in all three components of the program and to respond to all follow-up surveys.

ASH and EHA will arrange all travel and accommodation as follows.

• Spring course: ASH and EHA will arrange and cover economy class airfare, up to €1,000. Participants are responsible for arranging their own visas and ensuring they have valid travel documents in order to attend the week-long course in Europe.
• Follow-up meetings: ASH and EHA will arrange and cover economy class airfare (up to €1,000 per meeting) as well as hotel accommodations for three (four nights for the ASH Annual Meeting) nights per meeting.

Each participant is responsible for additional hotel nights and airfare costs above the established allowable amounts. Additional details of the TRTH travel policy will be communicated to awardees upon acceptance in the program.

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

Mentors

When discussing this career development opportunity with your associates, please keep in mind that applicants with the same mentor are eligible to apply. However, no more than ONE participant from a specific mentor will be selected.

As part of your support to your associate who is applying for TRTH, the following is required from you:

• The applicant’s mentor must be a member of EHA and/or ASH at the time of the Letter of Intent submission
• Supervision and mentorship to be provided to the applicant during the TRTH award year
• Please have your associate write their own project proposal. You are free to mentor them, but do not rewrite their proposal
• Should the applicant be invited to submit a full application, the mentor is required to submit several documents in support
• The mentor should describe the applicant’s abilities and likelihood to succeed in pursuing an academic career in translational research. The mentor must also indicate and detail his/her:
  1. Qualifications within the applicant’s research area, describing your previous experience in research training.
  2. Commitment to providing a productive environment for the applicant to pursue the project.
  3. Indication of why/how TRTH will be beneficial to the applicant.
  4. Mentor's biosketch/CV (2-page limit) will be required, including complete contact information, present position, training (including training in clinical and or translational research), publications, and other relevant information. The mentor’s documents will be evaluated based on the following: mentor’s personal qualifications, productivity and research support, as evidenced by the mentor’s CV/biosketch, mentoring experience and plans for mentoring and enhancing the career development of the applicant, environment for conducting the proposed research, past history of the mentor working with the participant, the quality of that interaction may be included in the consideration of the mentoring plan.

Questions?

For more information, please contact the EHA Executive Office at [email protected].