Getting Involved Before Formal Appointment
One of the unique strengths of the Oklahoma Geroscience Training Program is that engagement often begins well before a trainee receives formal T32 support. The program encourages prospective trainees to become active participants in the geroscience community early in their graduate or postdoctoral training, allowing them to explore aging research, build relationships with mentors, and gain exposure to program activities.
For graduate students, this early involvement frequently begins through coursework, seminar attendance, and laboratory rotations with participating faculty. These experiences help students develop an informed interest in aging research and determine whether geroscience aligns with their long-term career goals.
Opportunities for Prospective Trainees
Before formal appointment, prospective trainees may have opportunities to participate in many aspects of the program community, including:
- Geroscience seminars
- Journal club discussions
- Research presentations
- Professional development activities
- Grant-writing experiences when appropriate
- Networking with faculty and current trainees
These experiences allow future applicants to gain familiarity with the program's culture, expectations, and scientific focus while building relationships that can support future training opportunities.
Predoctoral Research Enhancement Program (PREP)
The application describes a formal mechanism for maintaining engagement with highly qualified candidates who have been selected by the review committee but cannot immediately be appointed because a training slot is unavailable. These individuals may be invited to participate in the Predoctoral Research Enhancement Program (PREP).
PREP allows prospective trainees to remain connected to the geroscience training environment while preserving priority consideration for future T32 appointments. The program also serves as a pathway for strengthening scientific preparation and expanding engagement with program activities before formal support begins.
Becoming Part of the Geroscience Community
The program views training as a continuum rather than a single appointment period. By engaging with seminars, journal clubs, mentoring relationships, and professional development opportunities before formal appointment, prospective trainees begin building the scientific foundation, collaborative network, and interdisciplinary perspective that characterize the Oklahoma Geroscience Training Program.
This early engagement helps ensure that trainees enter the program prepared to take full advantage of its training opportunities and contribute meaningfully to the broader geroscience research community.