Description

Background:

Obtaining academic research faculty positions and research grant awards is increasingly competitive, particularly in the rehabilitation where earmarked grant funding is limited. Post-doctoral fellows who receive training and develop expertise conducting secondary analyses of registry data, creating real world interventions, designing high quality clinical trials, and writing federal grant applications are more likely to obtain faculty positions and become independently-funded researchers. The VCU Advanced Neurotrauma Rehabilitation Research Training (ARRT) Center is a federally-funded research training program for health and function in people with disabilities. The Center for Rehabilitation Science and Engineering (CERSE) in VCU's Department of PM&R leads VCU ARRT activities, and is uniquely positioned with a 25-year record of achievement preparing post-doctoral fellows for successful research careers.

CERSE is a VCU-wide research center that partners with VCUHealth, Virginia's primary safety net health system of care, Sheltering Arms Institute (SAI), a 114-bed inpatient rehabilitation facility, and the Central Virginia Veterans Affairs Health Care System (CVHCS) that houses one of five V.A. Polytrauma Centers of Excellence and the V.A. system's largest SCI rehabilitation program. These clinical partnerships provide ARRT fellows with access to a broad spectrum of clinician collaborators and research participants. CERSE/ARRT faculty have 60 grants/contracts with $111M in total awards, which funds a robust scientific mentoring network and research operations infrastructure to support high quality research fellow training. CERSE/ARRT research faculty lead the V.A.-funded, Long-term Impact of Military-relevant Brain Injury Consortium (LIMBIC, $33M/5 years). Richmond hosts the only U.S. Academic-Veterans-Civilian partnership to be awarded NIDILRR SCI and TBI Model System grants, as well as a V.A. TBI Model System grant. We have extensive, long-term collaborations with Commonwealth of Virginia Agencies and Community Organizations that provide fellows with access to participatory action research collaborators who have lived experience of disability.

Richmond, VA, the capitol of Virginia, is a thriving city with affordable housing, a well-regarded arts, theatre, and restaurant scene, extensive walking, hiking and biking trails, and two-hour driving access to Virginia Beach, the Blue Ridge Mountains, and Washington, DC.

Description of the Opportunity:

The VCU ARRT is funded by the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR). The VCU ARRT provides a rich research training experience, including the opportunity to: (1) grow an independent line of research with a publication record of achievement; and (2) develop expertise in intervention development, participatory action research, clinical trial design, and grant writing. The VCU ARRT provides an evidence-informed, independent development plan (IDP)-driven, multiple-mentor training environment for fellows to build the skills and record of achievement needed to obtain a research faculty position. Two ARRT fellows will train concurrently, and have access to a cohort of postdoctoral research fellows and early career faculty across VCU and CVHCS. The VCU ARRT provides a supportive research mentoring environment including people with lived experience of disability, didactic and hands-on research training, a broad local and national mentorship network, large national research and health claims data registries for secondary data analyses, finance, regulatory and pre-award grant support, biostatistical training and resources, and leadership and communication skill-building.

Program Activities:

The ARRT postdoctoral fellow will conduct research to develop accessible, usable, and effective clinical interventions that improve outcomes important to people with disabilities. VCU ARRT fellows co-develop an individualized development plan (IDP) with their mentors-tailored to their skill level, training needs, and goals-that lays the foundation for developing an independent line of research. The training program includes: (1) didactic instruction and workshops that emphasize learning and application of scientific methods, large data analyses and clinical trial development that meet the evolving nature of rehabilitation research and care; (2) a mentoring network that includes a career development sponsor, and scientific, associate, and lived experience community mentors; and (3) leveraging PM&R/CERSE's interdisciplinary rehabilitation research network, funded grants, and large data registries to provide fellows with opportunities to participate in collaborative research, publish manuscripts, conduct a pilot study, and present at local, regional and national conferences.

A key aspect of the program is community-based participatory action research (CBPR), which is expected to inform the fellow's line of research. With mentor guidance, fellows will select among CERSE's many community partners to begin collaborating on conducting research with constituent feedback and input. This ensures the fellow's proposed interventions and research objectives will be highly responsive to the needs of people with disabilities.

Fellows may also pursue coursework relevant to their topic of choice and the skill-development needs identified in their individualized development plan developed with their mentors.

The primary fellowship goals are to develop a publication portfolio in the fellow's line of research, work towards seeking a research faculty or similar position, and prepare preliminary materials for a research career development or other grant application that the fellow can use in their subsequent role.

VCU Postdoctoral Services offers an array of skills and career development activities/programs that can complement your activities and assist you your future career. VCU offers career services, grant writing assistance, a Postdoc grant academy, travel and research awards, and networking events.

Mentoring Team:
Each Fellow will select a team of mentors to serve the multidisciplinary research and training needs of their chosen line of research. The complete list of available mentors is on the CERSE website at https://pmr.vcu.edu/research/.

Application timeline and duration:
The ARRT Fellowship is a two-year fellowship. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.

Eligibility:
Applicants must complete all MD or PhD graduation requirements including dissertation defense prior to their ARRT start date.

Minimum Hiring Standards:
Requires a Ph.D. in psychology, rehabilitation, social work, public health, nursing, or related field
Knowledge of treatments/interventions for people with acquired disabilities
Proficiency in developing, navigating and maintaining database files (e.g., REDCap, Excel, SPSS, etc.)
Evidence of excellent initiation, interpersonal and organizational skills
Evidence of excellent communication skills, both oral and written
Has a publication history
Interest and commitment to improving the lives of people with acquired disabilities and/or their families
Evidence of working well as part of a research project or team
Demonstrated ability to work in and foster an environment of respect, professionalism and civility with a population of faculty, staff, and students from various backgrounds and experiences, or a commitment to do so as a team member at VCU

This is a restricted position with no set end date and continued employment is dependent upon availability of funding.

As determined by the NIDILRR budget, fellows will be hired as a postdoctoral research fellow with an entry level postdoctoral fellow salary according to the 2024 National Research Service Awards (NRSA) stipend levels [https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-24-104.html]. A successful candidate for the position is expected to reside in the Richmond, VA area in order to develop in-person experience in intervention development and clinical trials. Hybrid-remote and flexible work arrangements are available if they do not interfere with the candidate's research and training.