UCSF Research in Implementation Sciences for Equity (RISE)

-
Investigator: Kirsten Bibbins-Domingo, MD, PhD
Sponsor: NIH National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute

Location(s): Puerto Rico

Description

 The UCSF-Research in Implementation Sciences for Equity Program (UCSF-RISE) seeks to train and sustain underrepresented minority (URM) fellows and junior faculty from across the US and Puerto Rico for long-term success in academic careers pursuing innovative research in cardiovascular or pulmonary diseases. Thirty scholars will participate in a one year program to develop skills in implementation sciences and academic career enhancement. The overall goal of UCSF-RISE is to prepare scholars to conduct innovative research and compete successfully for independent research funding.

The UCSF-Research in Implementation Sciences for Equity Program (UCSF-RISE) seeks to train and sustain underrepresented minority (URM) fellows and junior faculty from across the US and Puerto Rico for long-term success in academic careers pursuing innovative research of interest to the NHLBI. UCSF-RISE targets URM trainees conducting cardiovascular or pulmonary disease research and interested in enhancing their academic skills and expanding their research skills to include implementation sciences (ImS) methodology. We aim to recruit 3 cohorts of 10 scholars to take part in a program consisting of a 2-week Summer Institute delivering an interactive curriculum in ImS methodology and academic skill building, followed by a year of ongoing mentorship and research support, a mid-year UCSF-RISE meeting, and a second 5-day Summer Institute. The overall goal of UCSF-RISE is to prepare UCSF-RISE scholars to compete successfully for independent research funding. The conceptual framework for UCSF-RISE is grounded in social cognitive career theory that has been identified as being crucial to the design of successful training programs targeting URM investigators. UCSF-RISE is led by three NIH-funded PIs with a long history of mentoring and training students, fellows, and junior faculty, each with complementary skills in ImS methodology, junior faculty career development and mentoring, and URM training. Two of the three PIs are from URM backgrounds. The two core content areas that will be delivered within UCSF-RISE are: 1) The Implementation Science Institute (ImSI) (Aim 1) - focused on the core concepts and methodology of ImS and including skill building in UCSF-RISE scholars' own content area. The ultimate goal of the ImSI is to both build skills in ImS and to allow UCSF-RISE scholars to develop their own research protocols that will form the basis for subsequent grants. 2) The Careers-in-Progress Program (CIP) (Aim 2) - focused on delivering a core set of academic skills including manuscript and grant writing and reviewing, oral presentation and communication, interpersonal skill building in mentoring, team science, and negotiating, and introduction to the NIH. These skills will complement those taught in the ImSI but will expand the competency of UCSF-RISE scholars to complete academic products beyond those that might be specifically targeted in the ImSI curriculum. Creating and nurturing a strong set of mentoring relationships is essential to both components of UCSF-RISE, as is developing a rich set of research networks that can support UCSF-RISE scholars throughout their careers (Aim 3), and activities to promote mentoring and networking are woven throughout the UCSF-RISE program. UCSF-RISE includes a strong group of affiliate mentors with expertise in cardiovascular disease or pulmonary disease research, a detailed evaluation plan to assure the program's adaptation for continued success, and a dissemination plan that includes working closely with other PRIDE sites.