# Rehabilitation Medicine Scientist Training Program

> **NIH NIH R25** · UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH AT PITTSBURGH · 2021 · $162,000

## Abstract

Project Summary/Abstract
Clinician scientists, and physician scientists in particular, are needed to advance the translational
research agenda. This is particularly true in rehabilitation, where the evidence base to support
practice is under-developed. The Rehabilitation Medicine Scientist Training Program (RMSTP)
aims to identify and recruit promising physician candidates for research careers in rehabilitation;
to optimally prepare those candidates to develop a competitive mentored career development
funding application; to support productivity during training and facilitate a transition to scientific
independence. To achieve these aims, the RMSTP, in collaboration with the Association of
Academic Physiatrists will conduct an annual 3-day Research Career Development (RCD)
Workshop, supplemented by quarterly small group teleconferences throughout the year, to
support continued progress and productivity. The RMSTP is divided into 4 phases, which are
reflected in content tracks in the RCD workshop and in the focus of the teleconferences: the pre-
applicant phase helps participants define their area of research interest and identify suitable local
mentors; the applicant phase provides guidance, including critical peer review, on developing
competitive applications for career development funding; the funded fellow phase provides
support to maximize productivity in training, including critical peer review of research
applications, and to apply that training to rehabilitation problems; and the graduate phase
provides ongoing support, as needed, to facilitate the transition to independence and continue to
develop their research programs. Didactic and hands-on training at the RCD Workshop is
provided by a multidisciplinary Program Faculty consisting of successful extramurally funded
rehabilitation researchers focused on a broad range of basic and applied topics. Quarterly small-
group teleconferences are led by one of the 2 Program Directors, both of whom are experienced
and well-funded rehabilitation researchers and mentors. The RMSTP training infrastructure has
adopted key elements of a highly successful K12-funded physician scientist training program and
has adapted and expanded them to suit multidisciplinary physician participants and to direct
them toward external funding. The RMSTP has designed evaluation methods aimed at the RCD
Workshop content, the diversity and quality of the applicant pool, and the aggregate results of
training with respect to key benchmarks of scientific productivity.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10126728
- **Project number:** 5R25HD098048-03
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH AT PITTSBURGH
- **Principal Investigator:** MICHAEL L. BONINGER
- **Activity code:** R25 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $162,000
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2019-04-16 → 2024-03-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10126728

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10126728, Rehabilitation Medicine Scientist Training Program (5R25HD098048-03). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10126728. Licensed CC0.

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