Considerable data exists documenting a diminishing number of physicians who select careers which entail basis science research. The problem is particularly severe in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation which has a significant shortage of physician/investigators in clinical research, and a minuscule pool of physician/scientists who are trained and productive in basic science research and able to compete for funding. This application requests funding to initiate and support a multi- institutional, multi- disciplinary research training program in basic sciences for physicians in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (The Rehabilitation Medicine Scientist Training Program). Its goal is to identify those individuals within departments of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation who have the greatest potential for a career in basic science research and academic medicine and provide then with the appropriate training basic science research. The individuals who complete the program should be able to explore mechanistic research problems relevant to the field of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. At the present time, there is a major shortage of individuals with such expertise in the field. The program will be divided into two parts or phases; 1) a minimum of two years of training in a basic science discipline with the training provided by an outstanding established mentor scientist at athe mentor's institution. This two year training program must be continuous and uninterrupted. The trainees must devote 100% of their time to research. The two year training period will be funded by the NIH through this proposal. 2) Following the two year period of intense basic science research training, the trainee will join a sponsoring Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at the junior faculty level for a further three year period. During this time, the sponsoring department provides the salary support for the awardee, and ensures them 75% of their time for research. Although the awardee will continue relationship with their basic science mentor, ideally, the sponsoring institution should have available funded scientists in an area related to that of the awardees during this three year period. The main objective of the Rehabilitation Medicine Scientist Training Program is to strengthen the scientific basis of Rehabilitation Medicine. In addition, we hope to provide academic Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation departments with a cadre of faculty who are able to be competitive in the academic and research area. We believe that the program described in this proposal will accomplish these goals.
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