In August 2024, the Association of Academic Physiatrists’ (AAP) flagship program, the Rehabilitation Medicine Scientist Training Program (RMTSP) was awarded a $812,00 R25 Grant from the National Institutes of Health’s (NIH) National Center for Medical Rehabilitation Research (NCMRR) to continue to train high-quality physician-scientists and leaders in rehabilitation. The RMSTP is a multi-year experiential program that helps participants compete successfully for NIH and other research funds and contribute original research to support the value of rehabilitation and advance the specialty. These goals are achieved through multidisciplinary mentoring, networking, and interactive workshops.
The RMSTP is supported by the Association of Academic Physiatrists (AAP) and the National Institute of Health (NIH) and was previously funded through a K12 grant (2001-2016).
“We invite you to learn more about the history of RMSTP to explore the implications and early outcomes of transitioning from K12 to R25 grant and discuss future directions for the RMSTP as an example for developing other physician-scientist training programs,” says RMSTP Director Dr. Michael Boninger.
Physician-scientists are important because they bridge the gap between medical practice and scientific research, which can lead to improved patient outcomes and advancements in medical knowledge. They are uniquely positioned to identify clinical problems that need to be addressed and to design and conduct research studies to develop and test solutions to these problems. Additionally, physician-scientists often have a deep understanding of the biology and mechanisms of disease, which can inform the development of new treatments and therapies. Physician-scientists are important mentors and role models for the next generation of researchers. They can inspire and guide aspiring physician-scientists to pursue research careers and to make important contributions to the field.
The RMSTP grant aims to boost the number of physician-scientists in rehabilitation research. Physician-scientists are essential for translating basic science into clinical practice, but their numbers are declining, and they are becoming increasingly rare. The shortage is particularly severe in rehabilitation research, where the need for skilled physician-scientists is critical. This grant will help provide better training and support for physician-scientists, ensuring they can effectively compete for funding and build successful research careers in rehabilitation.
Led by Michael Boninger, MD (Director), W. David Arnold, MD (Associate Director), and Janna Friedly, MD, MPH and Stacy Suskauer, MD (Assistant Directors), the RMSTP Executive Committee members are experienced and well-funded rehabilitation researchers and mentors.
History – RMSTP Through the Years
Overview: A Case Study for Physician Scientist Training
The Rehabilitation Medicine Scientist Training Program (RMSTP) was developed and first funded in 1995 to help foster the next generation of physician scientists in rehabilitation. The RMSTP was funded through a K12 mechanism from the NIH National Center of Medical Rehabilitation Research for 4 funding cycles between 1995 and 2016. The K12 mechanism was designed to support institutional career development awards to foster the development and transition of clinician scientists to more advanced research support mechanisms. Between the first and second funding cycles (1995-2001), the program structure underwent significant revision and thereafter was relatively stable (2001-2016). Until 2016, the RMSTP was funded via a K12 grant that provided fellowship funding to funded applicant, but in 2016 the K12 funding mechanism was phased out by National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD). To address this change in funding support, RMSTP was restructured, and funding was obtained through an R25 mechanism from NICHD.
K12-Funded RMSTP program (2001-2016)
The K12 funded RMSTP was designed to support the career development of early-stage investigators who are interested in pursuing research careers in rehabilitation medicine and has been described in detail previously (ADD two refs). The program was divided into three main phases: Pre-application, Phase 1 (funded) and Phase II (mentored, unfunded). The pre-application phase was targeted toward resident physicians and junior faculty to facilitate and support their development of a research domain and focus, identification of a mentorship team, design of a tailored career development plan, and the submission of a competitive application for the phase 1 funded fellowship positions. Individuals that were awarded funded fellowship positions (Phase 1) were funded as junior faculty and were provided three years of research support to ensure at least 75% protected research time to allow research productivity. After completing phase 1, fellows entered phase 2 which was unfunded but continued to receive mentorship support from the program as well as networking to facilitate transitioning to independence. The core components of the program that occurred throughout all the three stages included involvement in a 3-day research career development workshop, quarterly phone calls, and networking opportunities with peers and mentors during quarterly calls and at the research career development workshop. The research development workshop was an in-person meeting held in conjunction with the annual AAP meeting.
R25-Funded RMSTP program (2019-present)
To improve utilization of funds, the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) decided to focus on individual K awards and no longer supported the K12 mechanisms previously supporting the RMSTP. Because individual K awards remain highly competitive and specific programs are needed to, not only prepare physicians to submit competitive grants but also to ensure their career development and productivity once funded, an updated RMSTP structure was developed.
The current structure of the RMSTP recruits promising residents and junior faculty in rehabilitation-related specialties to attend an annual Research Career Development Workshop and receive quarterly guidance through small-group teleconferences. RMSTP training is designed to help participants define their area of research interest, find appropriate local mentors, successfully apply for individual career development funding, and transition successfully to independent research careers.
The updated RMSTP is divided into 4 phases, which are reflected in content tracks in the RCD workshop and in the focus of the teleconferences. The pre-applicant phase helps participants define their area of research interest and identify suitable local mentors. The applicant phase provides guidance, including critical peer review, on developing competitive applications for career development funding. The funded fellow phase provides support to maximize productivity in training, including critical peer review of research applications, and to apply that training to rehabilitation problems. Finally, the graduate phase provides ongoing support, as needed, to facilitate the transition to independence and continue to develop their research programs. Didactic and hands-on training at the RCD Workshop is provided by a multidisciplinary Program Faculty consisting of successful extramurally funded rehabilitation researchers focused on a broad range of basic and applied topics. Quarterly small-group teleconferences are led by one of 4 Executive Committee members all of whom are experienced and well-funded rehabilitation researchers and mentors.
Media Contact:
Liz Raubach, AAP Communications Manager
Association of Academic Physiatrists
lraubach@physiatry.org I 410.654.1000
Categories
- Academic Advancement
- Research Funding