Rehabilitation Research Career Development (RRCD) Program

The RRCD provides up to three years of NIH support for physical and occupational therapists and is comprised of two phases.

Phase 1 (Years 1-3) is designed to provide Scholars with the foundation needed for a productive career in interdisciplinary rehabilitation research. Scholars will conduct research at one of the consortium institutions under the supervision of a Lead Mentor and collaborate with members of an interdisciplinary translational team in their area of research interest. Each Scholar will prepare an Individualized Career Development Plan, along with their mentor, based on their past training and experience. The plan will consist of structured didactic training involving research methodology, specialized courses and seminars, and mentored grant writing experiences. In Phase 1, Scholars will acquire research experience, generate, analyze, present and publish research data, and become equipped to compete for independent external funding. Scholars commit at least 75% effort to research career development activities during Phase 1.

In Phase 2 (Years 4-5) Scholars will transition to independent researcher positions and continue to devote 50-75% effort to research. They remain associated with the Lead Mentor and members of the research team, but will no longer receive salary support from the K12 award. The mentor-based training model takes advantage of the excellent resources at the consortium institutions and the program’s extensive rehabilitation research network to negotiate faculty positions in research supportive environments.