Clinical Research Scholars Program

The Clinical Research Scholars Program (CRSP) is a multidisciplinary career development program that prepares scientists from a broad range of disciplines, specialties, and subspecialties for independent careers in clinical or translational research. It brings together the various schools at the University of Pittsburgh.

Approximately 20 CRSP scholars are supported each year. Scholars engage in diverse types of multidisciplinary clinical and translational research, including animal model studies, clinical trials, patient-oriented research, epidemiologic studies, health services research, and translational research. The scholars pursue educational offerings pertaining to research ethics and regulations, to best practices in clinical research, and to the development of management and leadership skills. Many scholars pursue an MS in clinical research during the program.

The program employs an extensive team-mentoring model. Each scholar has a mentoring team of at least two faculty from different disciplines that pertain to the scholar's research. Scholars meet with their mentoring teams at least monthly. The program stresses that the mentoring team should meet as a group to help the scholar receive uniform advice and to facilitate open communication among all parties. This model has proved effective in helping scholars pursue research that moves along the continuum from basic to community-based research, thereby furthering the national goal of using biomedical advances to improve public health.

Program Components

With the help of members of the Multidisciplinary Advisory Committee (MAC), mentors, and the program directors, each scholar develops an individualized advanced training plan. This may involve pursuing advanced clinical research methodology, receiving instruction about conducting research responsibly, taking basic science courses if the scholar is interested in translational research, and taking courses in other disciplines that are critical to the scholar's research endeavors and future concentration.

Scholars attend biweekly MAC meetings in which they present their research and discuss a variety of topics, including the responsible conduct of research, project management, and grant funding. In addition, they attend workshops on specific topics to help them with their career development.

Scholars also have regular meetings with their mentoring team and the program leadership.

Support

The CRSP offers 75% salary support to junior faculty members, as well as associated fringe benefits, for up to 5 years, provided satisfactory progress is made. The total salary must be based on a 12-month appointment and the level of effort related to CRSP activities. In all cases, the salary requested must be consistent with the level of effort. In addition, the following are provided:

• Tuition and fees related to multidisciplinary clinical research training.
• Financial support for books related to multidisciplinary clinical research training.
• Up to $25,000 per year for a scholar-initiated project, to cover research expenses (supplies, equipment, and personnel), statistical and data management services, other project infrastructure including relevant datasets, and travel funds to attend the National Institutes of Health (NIH) annual meeting for scholars and other scientific meetings.
• Consultative support through the program's Research Development Core. Members of this core will offer expert consultations on grant writing, research methodology, measurement adaptation and evaluation, form design, protocol preparation, data management, data collection, and analysis.

Applications

Applications are accepted twice a year. The current cycle closes at 4:00 p.m. on December 15. Each applicant must:

• Be a U.S. citizen or noncitizen national or must have been lawfully admitted for permanent residence and possess an Alien Registration Receipt Card (I-151 or I-155) or some other verification of legal admission as a permanent resident.
• Have a clinical doctorate or PhD degree (or its equivalent) at the time of application to the program.
• Be able to commit at least 75% of his or her full-time professional effort to the CRSP and its related clinical research activities.
• Not have another K award pending.
• Have or plan to obtain an affiliation with a University of Pittsburgh center, institute, or laboratory that will provide an excellent environment for research.
• Be committed to developing a clinical research career.

Applicants who have been a principal investigator of an NIH R03 or R21 grant or a non-PHS equivalent at the time of application are eligible to apply. However, those who have been a principal investigator on an NIH research grant (such as an R01, R29, or P01 grant) or a non-NIH equivalent to these grants are not eligible. Applicants may have had support from a National Research Service Award (F or T) or an NIH small grant (R03).

New Scholars

This year, the CRSP welcomed four new scholars:

• Octavia Peck-Palmer, PhD, is an assistant professor in the Department of Pathology. Her research focuses on genetic variants in zinc proteins and racial differences in infectious diseases.
• Thomas Rice, MD, MS, is an assistant professor in the Department of Medicine. He pursues research pertaining to heavy snoring, sleep apnea, and cardiovascular disease.
• Yael Schenker, MD, MS, is an assistant professor in the Department of Medicine. She is studying the integration of palliative care services in the multidisciplinary approach to patients with advanced cancer.
• Ryan Shields, PharmD, is an assistant professor in the Department of Medicine. His research is on the use of molecular markers to predict the response to echinocandin therapy among patients with candidemia.

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