# USC Neurosurgery Research Education Training Program

> **NIH NIH R25** · UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA · 2021 · $105,541

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
The proposed research program seeks to establish a formal training paradigm to support USC neurosurgery
residents in pursuit of successful academic careers as clinician-scientists. Physician-scientists are uniquely
positioned to address many challenges at the forefront of medicine today. However, due to constraints on time,
opportunity, and support, the number of neurosurgeons engaged in meaningful research has declined
substantially. The USC R25 Neurosurgery Research Education Program provides the resources, mentorship,
and support required to address this gap. The Neurosurgery Department has a strong track record of training
productive academic neurosurgeons with active research programs. Recently, USC has recruited multiple
transformative, senior faculty members within the neuroscience disciplines. Each of these Institute/ Center
Directors has developed strong collaborations with the USC Neurosurgery department and is a mentor/ advisor
on this training grant. The USC Neurosurgery Research Education Program incorporates thirty-five faculty
members from seventeen different academic departments across the university. Mentors are clinicians and
scientists with federal/ foundational funding and prior records notable for successful mentorship. A multi-tiered
mentorship system affords each trainee a research supervisor for his/her direct investigative study, direction
from a Neurosurgery Research Mentorship Committee and career development guidance from team of
clinician-scientists within the candidate's chosen neurosurgery/ neuroscience subspecialty. An educational
program is tailored towards developing successful clinician-scientists. This includes a short introductory
seminar series and monthly, semi-structured, mentorship sessions with senior clinician-scientists involved with
the R25 program. A Transition to Academic Faculty Committee provides sustained guidance and oversight to
R25 graduates during their final years of residency training and initial junior faculty appointment. An External
Advisory Committee of senior investigators (institutional and national) with strong training program experience
assists in guiding the program. The over-arching aim of the proposal is to develop neurosurgeon-scientists
capable of securing NIH K-, and ultimately R-, series funding to support independent research.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10171624
- **Project number:** 5R25NS099008-05
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
- **Principal Investigator:** William J Mack
- **Activity code:** R25 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $105,541
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2017-07-15 → 2022-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10171624

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10171624, USC Neurosurgery Research Education Training Program (5R25NS099008-05). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10171624. Licensed CC0.

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