# UC San Diego RAPID Faculty Development Program in Infectious Diseases

> **NIH NIH R25** · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN DIEGO · 2020 · $351,000

## Abstract

Abstract
Enhancing the diversity of the biomedical workforce is important for improving educational experiences, fostering
scientific discovery and innovation, enhancing the benefit of research on health disparity populations and
increasing public trust. While academic institutions have an important role in this goal, diversifying the faculty
ranks has been the least successful of all diversity initiatives. The overall goal of the UC San Diego Faculty
Development Program in Infectious Diseases (FDP-ID) termed Raising Advancement and Parity
for Infectious Disease Researchers (RAPID) is to enhance the diversity of the biomedical research workforce.
The UC San Diego RAPID program will provide effective mentorship, courses to develop critical academic skills
and experiences to enhance success of research programs focused on infectious diseases and success in
obtaining extramural funding. RAPID will recruit underrepresented early career academics including junior faculty
and postdoctoral fellows that have secured an initial faculty position from a national pool to participate in
professional and research development activities in a visiting scholar program at UC San Diego. The RAPID
program is directed by two principal investigators (PIs) and three co-investigators (co-Is) from the UC San Diego
School of Medicine with extensive experience in mentoring and training postdoctoral fellows, residents and junior
faculty and success in creating and implementing career development and mentoring programs specifically for
underrepresented early career academics. The PIs / co-Is have successfully led extramurally-funded training
programs; four of the five PIs are actively engaged in NIH-sponsored infectious diseases research; four of the
PIs are from backgrounds underrepresented in the biomedical workforce. The specific objectives of the UCSD
RAPID program are to enhance the diversity of the biomedical workforce by providing early career academics
from underrepresented racial / ethnic, women and disabled groups with critical academic skills to enhance their
success in developing research programs focused on infectious diseases. We propose three specific aims. Aim
1. To increase the diversity of the biomedical workforce by recruiting underrepresented early career academics
(junior faculty and transitioning postdoctoral fellows) from local and national pools who have infectious diseases
scientific expertise aligned with those of our research mentors. Aim 2. To enhance professional skill development
and effective mentorship of participants by utilizing evidence-based strategies including a faculty research and
career advancement plan, mentoring teams and by improving knowledge and skills in various professional
development areas important for research success. Aim 3. To promote research training and research self-
efficacy of early career academics in infectious diseases research knowledge, skills and strategies through
immersion in activities in the mentees area o...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10065877
- **Project number:** 1R25AI147376-01A1
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN DIEGO
- **Principal Investigator:** VIVIAN REZNIK
- **Activity code:** R25 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $351,000
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2020-08-10 → 2025-07-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10065877

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10065877, UC San Diego RAPID Faculty Development Program in Infectious Diseases (1R25AI147376-01A1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10065877. Licensed CC0.

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