Postdoctoral Training Program in Prevention Science at the University of Oregon: Preparing Education Researchers to Prevent Social and Behavioral Problems in Schools

The program supported fellows in developing skills related to (a) research design and statistical analyses, (b) writing and dissemination, (c) grants management, (d) mentorship, and (e) responsible conduct of research. In collaboration with their primary and secondary mentor, fellows designed an Individual Training Plan (ITP) to guide their training experiences. Fellows selected one of the following areas on which to focus their training: (1) intervention efficacy, (2) implementation science, or (3) advanced research methodology. Research and training activities specified in the ITP allowed fellows to develop competence in their chosen emphasis area and the five key skills mentioned above. In their first year, fellows worked with their mentors to design an independent research project involving secondary data analysis of extant data or primary data collection as part of an existing grant-funded project. They also began collaborating with their mentors on ongoing IES and other federally funded research focused on the prevention of social and behavioral problems, including the evaluation of family-based prevention programs; the development of a professional development program to reduce disproportionality in school discipline; the optimization of a parenting program using a sequential multiple assignment randomized trial (SMART) design; and the exploration of student, school, and neighborhood risk and protective factors related to youth safety and well-being. During their second year, fellows continued to work on their independent research and took a stronger leadership role in the federally funded research projects and the supervision of graduate students and research assistants. During both years, fellows audited courses (particularly in advanced statistics), attended research seminars, wrote grants and journal articles, and attended national conferences where they presented their research findings. Throughout their 2 years, fellows met with their mentors regularly to establish and reflect on their goals, customize their research and training activities, and assess their progress.