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Eligibility
Application Criteria
Guidelines
Timeline
Selection
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ELIGIBILITY
The founding principle of the PSDP was to train pediatricians as scientists. Much as we devote many years to uninterrupted training as a component of our clinical development, the PSDP encourages candidates to seek two years of uninterrupted time for research training. The PSDP stipulates that candidates proposing basic research projects will have no clinical responsibilities in years one and two of PSDP training, and that this stipulation will have the assent of the sponsoring chair.
In keeping with the growing emphasis on patient-oriented or translational research, candidates who propose projects that require patient contact will have the opportunity to request clinical time as part of their initial PSDP application.
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For most candidates, the application will be due on February 1 of the PL-3 year.
- Candidates who are fast-tracking in pediatrics should identify themselves in the fall of the PL-2 year.
- Subspecialty programs such as cardiology, critical care, emergency medicine, and neonatology may be extending their clinical requirements to 18-24 months. Thus, some applicants in those disciplines will not be able to complete their clinical requirements in 12 months, prior to entering the period of PSDP-supported research. Applicants whose disciplines require 13-24 months of clinical responsibilities may apply to the PSDP by February 1 of their first fellowship year. The section chief and department chair must guarantee in writing that those 17 months will be spent to complete clinical requirements or other departmental responsibilities, prior to the start of PSDP-supported research.
All PSDP trainees should begin their protected research time on July 1, 17 months after submission of the application.
APPLICATION
CRITERIA
- Candidates
must have an M.D. or M.D./Ph.D. degree and must be enrolled in a
pediatric training program. Only one training position
each year is available for all M.D./Ph.D. applicants.
- Candidates
must be U.S. citizens, permanent residents, or Canadian citizens.
- A
candidate must be nominated by the Chair of the pediatric department
in which the candidate completes his/her pediatric residency. The
nominating department bears the responsibility of sponsorship or
identification of another sponsoring department for support of clinical
fellowship training and must commit to assist the candidate in finding
a junior faculty position at the conclusion of PSDP training.
- The
Chair of the sponsoring department (which may or may not be the
same as the nominating department) commits to funding the clinical
component of fellowship training and to assisting in the identification
of a junior faculty position that provides two years of support
with 75% time free for research.
- The
Sponsoring Chair must also verify that the candidate will have no
clinical duties during the first two years of PSDP-sponsored research training.
Candidates receiving funding for a third year may incorporate up
to 15% clinical time in their program. Exceptions to this plan must
be approved by the Steering Committee.
- Candidates
with Ph.D. degrees alone are not eligible. Applications are accepted from candidates
whose academic training has been interrupted prior to fellowship
or who have pursued alternative career tracks and wish to re-enter
academic training.
- Training
should be pursued in a basic or translational research laboratory. In most instances,
preference is given to candidates who train in laboratories outside
clinical departments. Candidates who wish to train in epidemiology
or statistics are advised to find mentors with primary appointments
in schools of public health.
- Applications
are due on February 1st of the year preceding the start of the PSDP-sponsored
fellowship (17 months prior to the start of the longitudinal protected continuous research time). Applications are available upon request from the Program
Office. Candidates whose applications are judged competitive for
funding are interviewed by the PSDP Selection Committee in May at
the annual meeting of the American Pediatric Society/Society for
Pediatric Research. Candidates accepted into the PSDP are notified
in June, approximately 13 months prior to the start of the program.
APPLICATION
GUIDELINES
Training
should be pursued in the laboratories of mentors with substantial
extramural funding for outstanding research programs in basic or
translational investigation. In most instances, preference is given
to candidates who train in laboratories outside clinical departments.
Candidates who wish to train in epidemiology or statistics are advised
to find mentors with primary appointments in schools of public health.
For candidates with M.D./Ph.D. degrees, the PSDP gives preference
to research proposals involving mentors other than those responsible
for the candidate's doctoral or postdoctoral training.
In choosing a mentor, prospective PSDP candidates are advised to consult with the nominating department chair and the relevant section chief, if the candidate plans to remain at the home institution. If the candidate plans to take a fellowship at another institution, then additional consultation with the sponsoring chair and the relevant section chief at the fellowship institution is a good first step. Candidates are encouraged to identify potential mentors by review of the scientific literature and by using databases such as Community of Science (http://expertise.cos.com/), to find mentors at the chosen institution. Once a candidate has identified 2-3 potential mentors, consultation with the PSDP office can provide helpful advice in choosing among them.
An
original and 17 copies of the application, compiled in the precise order
listed below, must be submitted by February 1st (17 months prior to
the start of the PSDP component of the fellowship):
- The
application form, which includes the name of applicant,
Nominating and Sponsoring Chairs, residency information, and name(s)
of proposed research mentor and laboratory site.
- Personal
statement from applicant addressing the rationale for the
clinical sub-specialty, choice of research area and career goals.
- A
detailed research proposal, typically 8-10 pages in length,
that should be prepared in conjunction with the PSDP mentor. Candidates proposing patient-oriented research or translational research that requires patient contact may request up to 10% clinical time in years one and two. This request must be incorporated as a part of the initial PSDP application and must have the signed approval of the mentor. The candidate must be explicit as to the populations to be seen, the way in which time is to be spent and will be expected to justify why the clinical time is essential to the performance of his/her research. PSDP Fellows who request clinical time after having begun the PSDP-sponsored research years will be denied.
- Letter
from Nominating Chair acknowledging the commitment to help
the candidate to identify a junior faculty position providing two
years of support with 75% time for research.
- Letter
from Sponsoring Chair at the site of the clinical fellowship,
if different from nominating Chair. The letter from the sponsoring
Chair must verify that there will be no clinical duties during first
two years of fellowship and also acknowledge the commitment to help
the candidate to identify a junior faculty position providing two
years of support with 75% time for research.
- Letter
of support and acceptance from proposed research mentor,
which includes a description of laboratory, scope of research, educational curriculum for trainee (mentoring plan), other personnel to be involved in the training
process and cites agreement with the policy of no clinical duties during first two years of fellowship. Approval must be acknowledged by the mentor if the candidate is proposing patient-oriented research or translational research that requires patient contact.
- Mentor's
NIH grant application Biographic Sketch (three pages).
- Applicant's
curriculum vitae listing publications, honors, and awards.
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Applicant's final medical school transcript.
-
Three letters of reference.
APPLICATION
TIMELINE
Applications are to be submitted by February 1. For most candidates, the application will be due on February 1 of the PL-3 year. Candidates should time their application so that PSDP-sponsored research training will begin 17 months after the application: e.g. February 2008 for research training beginning July 2009. It is recommended that all candidates contact the PSDP administrative office to ensure the correct timing of the application.
Subspecialty programs such as cardiology, critical care, emergency medicine, and neonatology may be extending their clinical requirements to 18-24 months. Thus, most applicants in those disciplines will not be able to complete their clinical requirements in 12 months, prior to entering the period of PSDP-supported research. Applicants whose disciplines require 13-24 months of clinical responsibilities may apply to the PSDP by February 1 of their first fellowship year. The section chief and department chair at the sponsoring (fellowship) institution must guarantee in writing that the next 17 months will be spent to complete clinical requirements or other departmental responsibilities, prior to the start of PSDP-supported research.
All PSDP trainees should begin their protected research time on July 1, 17 months after submission of the application.
SELECTION
The
PSDP Steering Committee reviews applications proposed by pediatric departments
throughout this country and Canada and narrows the list to no more than
twenty candidates to be invited for interviews. The Steering Committee
may recommend revisions to an application before approving it for further
consideration. Interviews are conducted by the Selection Committee at
the annual meetings of the American Pediatric Society/Society for Pediatric
Research each spring. Residents being interviewed may also attend the
pediatric research meetings. Travel expenses to the meetings for interviews
are the responsibility of the nominating department of pediatrics. The
PSDP office will assist with lodging arrangements.
The Selection Committee considers each application in light of the following
criteria:
- location
and quality of the proposed training laboratory
-
quality of the research project
- anticipated
quality of career guidance and mentoring by the sponsoring department
and laboratory mentor
- applicant's
understanding and appreciation of the relationship of the proposed
research to clinical pediatrics
- applicant's
commitment to a career in academic pediatrics and to scholarly and
scientific endeavor
- applicant's
intellectual curiosity, thoughtfulness, creativity and personal
academic achievement
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