The Child Maltreatment T32 Training Program at Penn State: Innovation for Creating the Next Generation of Scholars in Child Maltreatment Science

Creating innovation in child maltreatment research and practice begins with novel and rigorous approaches to training future professionals. This chapter describes a new program for professionals seeking formalized training in child maltreatment. The Child Maltreatment T32 (CMT32) Training Program at Penn State is supported by a Federal grant from the National Institutes of Health and offers dedicated, transdisciplinary training in multiple areas of child maltreatment for both graduate students and postdoctoral fellows. In addition to a core set of general program requirements, CMT32 fellows specialize their training across four related tracks: Biology and Health, Developmental Processes, Policy and Administrative Data Systems, and Prevention and Treatment. Each track offers access to a wide range of Mentors, who further shape the training experience of each fellow through their own diverse experiences, training, and research methods as applied to the substantive area of child maltreatment. This chapter describes the CMT32 Training Program at Penn State while identifying the innovative ways in which we are preparing the next generation of scholars to address current and future challenges for children and families affected by maltreatment.