Finally, interview participants described how TREC I helped to advance TD research by allowing trainees to serve as co-PIs for developmental pilot projects, and by funding them to engage in cross-center training opportunities. They described how young investigators looking for ways to make novel scientific contributions and establish expertise unique from that of their mentors used the developmental pilot project funds to create new and highly innovative TD research projects. Trainees used the training funds to develop new knowledge and skills to design and implement new TD research. Senior investigators described how trainees brought them into these TD research projects, as co-PIs or mentors, effectively establishing TD collaborative links among senior investigators within and across centers (Table 2).
