The future of biomedical research depends on a diverse pool of well-trained scientists who are equipped to investigate the priority health issues of the 21st century. In addition, it is necessary to nurture a cadre of enthusiastic, ambitious, and creative educators who have the capacity to inspire their students to pursue careers in research. Because postdoctoral training typically focuses on research, future educators face the challenge of developing both the teaching skills and the research portfolio necessary to be competitive for faculty positions. The Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) IRACDA program is designed to address these issues and has two major goals. The first is to prepare postdoctoral fellows for faculty positions through career development in both cutting edge research and pedagogy. VCU IRACDA scholars perform research under the guidance of experienced mentors and participate in hands-on mentored teaching at one of our partner historically black universities, Virginia Union University (VUU) and Virginia State University (VSU). The second goal of VCU IRACDA is to enhance teaching and research collaborations between VCU and our partner institutions, by expanding the curriculum and providing research opportunities for students and faculty. These goals will be accomplished through the following specific aims: (1) Identify at least 10 qualified applicants and annually recruit 2 outstanding postdoctoral fellows to the 3-year VCU IRACDA program; (2) Provide VCU IRACDA postdoctoral fellows with intensive career development in research and teaching; and (3) Enhance the curricular offerings at the partner institutions through courses with a strong foundation in current research trends and methodologies, and increase collaborations between faculty at the partner institutions and VCU faculty members.
There is a pressing need to make the biomedical research enterprise in the US more inclusive. With our dedicated team of teaching and research mentors, comprehensive and rigorous career development regimen, and talented pool of postdoctoral Scholars, VCU IRACDA is making significant contributions to this effort.
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