Fostering the Entry of Clinically-Trained Individuals into the Research Pipeline

NIDCD has recently issued the following announcement about "PIPE" to request proposals for supplements "to recruit clinically-trained individuals into its research enterprise to facilitate translation of fundamental scientific discoveries and clinical observations within its scientific mission bi-directionally between "bench and bedside." This initiative targets clinicians at the junior through mid-career levels who have developed a keen interest in fundamental, translational, or patient-oriented research within the NIDCD scientific mission areas, but who have limited research backgroundspically less than two years of full-time research experience in the health/life sciences since their last clinical degree. It seeks to nurture these individuals to integrate both research and clinical practice trajectories in their careers in order to advance the state-of-the art in health care services to individuals with communication disorders.

This research supplement program establishes a mentoring relationship between the sponsoring Principal Investigator (PI)/Program Director (PD) and the budding clinician-scientist, directly "tethering" the latter to the funded NIDCD research grant or center grant of the mentoring PI/PD. The research experience proposed for the candidate must be within the research scope of the parent grant, and it must have the potential to contribute significantly to the research career development of the candidate as an independent investigator or as a team scientist.

Clinically credentialed individuals holding a clinical masters degree or doctoral degree are eligible candidates. Members of clinical specialties focused on hearing, balance, smell, taste, voice, speech, and language are eligible. Speech-language pathologists, audiologists, otolaryngologists, and epidemiologists are particularly encouraged to apply."

For more information, see: www.nidcd.nih.gov/funding/AdminSupplements/FosteringIndividuals.htm

As part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, NIDCD has established eight supplement opportunities:

Accelerating the Science (ACC)
Career Staff Scientist (CSS)
Clinical Research and Infrastructure (CLIN)
Collaborative Research (COLL)
Fostering the Entry of Clinically-Trained Individuals into the Research Pipeline (PIPE)
Research Equipment for Advancement of Science (EQ)
Retooling of Mid-career Investigators (RETOOL)
Translational Research (TRANS)

For more information, see: www.nidcd.nih.gov/funding/

NIDCD strongly encourages supplement requests be received by April 22, 2009 at 5 pm EDT.

Applicants must have an active (or be in a no-cost extension) R, P, U or K series grant award from NIDCD to a domestic institution. NIDCD training (institutional T32 and individual fellowship F) awards, U13/R13s, and contract awards are ineligible.

These supplements present a wonderful opportunity for NIDCD funded researchers to expand the impact of their research efforts and PIPE is an especially innovative mechanism to expand the pipeline of clinical researchers. Please feel free to forward this information to those who may be interested.