Goal:  To provide virtual Passport Program participants with the opportunity to participate in design and quantitative and qualitative analyses of a survey of the impact of COVID-19 on TCORS trainees.

Description:  Career enhancement to train, mentor and engage the next generation of tobacco regulatory science researchers is a core component of TCORS.  The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in disruptions in mentored research, personal and professional challenges, and the need to rapidly adjust to the changing research, health, and safety landscape.  This project is designed to conduct a survey of the impact of the pandemic on TCORS trainees.  The survey will be adapted from a similar instrument distributed to trainees at the NIH-funded Centers for Translational Science Award (CTSA) institutions.  CRoFT will train Passport Program participants in theme coding used for qualitative analyses of open-ended items, and mentor participants in quantitative analyses.  Passport Program participants will attend at least 1-2 scheduled project meetings/week and will be invited to CRoFT seminars, career stories, and other relevant activities.  Between meetings, Passport Program participants will complete analyses in collaboration with CRoFT team members.  Passport Program participants will have the opportunity to continue to collaborate with CRoFT investigators and staff on a manuscript and scientific presentation(s) beyond the formal Passport Program experience.

Program Duration: 6 weeks (part-time). Optional continued involvement for manuscript preparation and scientific presentations:  3-6 months.

Ideal Candidates: TCORS predoctoral and postdoctoral trainees with data analytic skills and experience using SAS.

Timeline: CRoFT will accept up to 2 Passport Program participants.  Initial survey review will take place in February, 2021, with analyses to be conducted in February/March 2021.