Physician Scientist Resources

The School of Medicine Office of Research is excited to announce the launch of the Physician Scientist Collective (PSC) at UCI, a community of like-minded researchers dedicated to advancing scientific discovery and improving patient outcomes. The PSC aims to provide a platform for physician scientists to come together, learn, collaborate, and advance their careers. 

One of the main programs offered by the PSC is the monthly seminar series. These seminars will include visiting speakers who will discuss their research and career paths. Other seminars will be educational and cover a variety of topics, including study design, tissue acquisition and analysis, mentorship, and grantsmanship. These seminars are designed to provide physician scientists with the knowledge and skills they need to conduct high-quality research and advance their careers.

Moreover, the PSC provides opportunities for networking and collaboration. The organization also offers mentorship and career development resources to help physician scientists achieve their professional goals. The Physician Scientist Collective is an excellent resource for physician scientists who want to connect with their peers, learn new skills, and advance their careers. 

Please see our Events calendar below for a list of upcoming PSC Distinguished Speaker Series events.

The School of Medicine Office of Research is excited to announce the Physician Scientist Pathways Certificate Course! This course will prepare physician scientists by enabling them to combine their clinical knowledge with skills in scientific investigation. The School of Medicine strives to advance individual and population health and this fundamental certificate course will equip physician scientists with the basic knowledge required to address their research questions. This will allow UCI to deliver top-level care to our patients, as we will have physicians able to leverage ongoing breakthroughs while advancing research in their fields.

Director: Anand Ganesan, MD, PhD

Program Manager: Mary Frances Ypma-Wong, PhD

For any questions, please contact the Program Manager.

Target Applicant

Residents, fellows, and junior faculty physicians interested in pursuing a career path that includes basic, translational, clinical and/or epidemiology research. This course is designed to not only provide a basic level of knowledge but for attendees to develop an individual development plan for further research training.

Program Structure

This course will commence in October 2023 and run for 6 weeks, 2 hours/week. It is a hybrid course, which includes 3 in-person sessions and 3 online sessions. There is no tuition fee.

• Week 1: Physician Scientist Research Pathways and Opportunities | in-person | October 24, 4-6 pm | Irvine School of Medicine campus
• Week 2: Tools of Basic and Translational Research
• Week 3: Basics of Biostatistics and Epidemiology
• Week 4: Mentors and Collaborators| in-person | November 14, 4-6 pm | UCIMC
• Week 5: Translational Tissue Models
• Week 6: Designing a fundable research question and training plan| in-person | November 28, 4-6 pm | Irvine School of Medicine campus

This course includes weekly assessments.

Program Objectives

1. Understand the different types of biomedical research pathways and the types of training that are needed for each pathway.
2. Understand the process of formulating a research question and how to search for funding opportunities (through PIVOT, etc.)
3. Develop an individualized training plan to obtain the necessary research skills for further career development.
4. Understand how the latest research and clinical tools can be applied.
5. Obtain a fundamental understanding of the grant application process and what is required to assemble a grant application that could be funded.

Application Requirements

• Complete the application by October 9, 2023. This includes:
  • One-page letter of intent which outlines research interests and rationale/need for additional training.
  • Letter of support from department chair, division chief, or program director indicating that the candidate will be provided time to attend in-person activities.
  • Individual commitment to attend all three in-person sessions.
• You will receive a notice no later than October 13th regarding your status (accepted/not accepted) into the program.

The Program

The Physician Scientist Training Program is a two-year structured pilot program providing physician scientists with intensive mentorship and opportunities to apply for their first independent, federally funded awards (K08, K23) or other equivalent external career development awards. This program is supported by the Provost’s and Executive Vice Chancellor’s Research Growth Fund initiative and is administered by the School of Medicine Research Development Unit (RDU) with oversight by the School's Associate Dean of Research Development and the Vice Deans of Clinical and Basic Research.

The pilot program ran from March 2021 through March 2023. 

PSTP leverages the wide range of resources at UCI, including those provided by the School of Medicine Offices of Research and of Academic Affairs, Institute of Clinical and Translational Science (ICTS), and the Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center (CFCCC).  This is a competitive, two-year program that incorporates the following elements: 

• Formal and informal mentoring. 
• Access to resources to facilitate appropriate study design, collection of pilot data, and preparation and submission of competitive grant applications.
• Instruction in and structured support for navigating NIH and other extramural funding sources, grant writing and review, and grants management with the goal of successfully submitting independent applications

In addition, participants will also be able to tailor training according to their individual career and research goals. RDU staff will work with physicians to ensure access to mentors and resources.

Eligibility

This program is open to physician scientists (MD, DO, or MD, PhD) who meet the following eligibility requirements:

• Holds a junior faculty position (typically instructor or assistant professor)
• U.S. citizen or permanent resident   
• Has not been a principal investigator or equivalent on any of the following:
  • NIH R01 (or equivalent) 
  • NIH career development award (e.g. K08, K23)
  • Equivalent Public Health Service or VA research grants/career awards.
• Able to devote 30% effort (20% for surgeons) for the duration of the program. For those admitted to the program, certification of time commitment from a participant’s department chair or division chief will be required prior to program launch. 
• Proposed research falls within the clinical & translational science research spectrum
• Has at least one scientific mentor with aligned research expertise, extramural funding, and a strong commitment to guide and support the applicant’s proposed career development, research program and grant-writing goals. 
  • Candidates may and are encouraged to identify more than one mentor, i.e., a mentoring team if deemed advantageous for providing expert advice in all aspects of their research and career development.

Program Requirements & Milestones

Generally, 30% of a physician scientist’s full-time professional effort (20% for surgeons) must be devoted to research activities. The participant must be committed to attending programmatic events, communicating individualized training needs to School of Medicine RDU staff, and reaching the milestones outlined below:

• Attend orientation and workshops for grant funding, grant writing, and grants management.
• Attend and prepare for all scheduled meetings with the scientific mentor mentoring team at least once a month.
• Develop a grant writing schedule by the end of the first 3 months of the program and generate and circulate drafts of grant components for review by the end of the first 12 months.
• Report on progress in the program and meet with the PSTP review committee at 6, 12, 18 and 24 months.
• Submit an NIH K08 or K23 application by October 2022 or March 2023.

To Apply

Interested and eligible applicants are required to submit the following documents:

1. 1-2 page career statement and professional development plan for pursuing a research career in clinical and translational science. This must include a list of potential mentors.
2. 1-page description of research interests and specific aims that would lead to a grant submission within 2 years.
3. Professional CV or NIH biosketch.

Applications for the PSTP Pilot Program are closed. For inquiries, please contact the Research Development Unit.

This program provides awardees the protected time and mentorship needed to obtain NIH K/equivalent funding. Mentees will be provided specific mentorship in the areas of grantsmanship, publication development, research design, and implementation science.

Attention — School of Medicine Department Chairs & Staff

The School of Medicine Office of Research understands the challenges that may come with recruiting and hiring physician scientists to your department. We've created a comprehensive guide for hiring physician scientists.

Email Mary Frances Ypma-Wong, Research Development Manager, for the guide.

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