# Clinical and Translational Research Training in Geriatric Mental Health

> **NIH NIH T32** · UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH AT PITTSBURGH · 2024 · $247,790

## Abstract

This proposal requests support for the five-year continuation of our NIMH-funded institutional training grant,
“Clinical and Translational Research Training in Late-Life Mood Disorders” (T32 MH019986), Years 26-30.
The primary goal of this two-year post-doctoral fellowship (three years in selected case) is to provide rigorous
training in the basic foundations and methodologic tools necessary for successful clinical and translational
investigation in geriatric mental health and psychiatry. The fellowship is designed for MDs and PhDs in the
behavioral sciences (four post-doctoral fellows annually). Consistent with NIMH priorities, the focus of training
in the new funding period will be translational and computational approaches for treatment development, as
well as interventions and mental health services research. Research training is designed to be broadly
multidisciplinary from bioengineering to community-based research. The most important components of the
training program are apprenticeship with an academically successful mentor, a structured training plan
facilitated by a network of committed faculty, and supportive environment to foster each trainees’ unique
strength. In most cases, this leads to faculty appointments and successful competition for extramural funding.
Trainees develop core skills and knowledge in grant writing and research project management by participating
in a weekly career and research development seminar, and bi-weekly meetings with the various researchers in
geriatric mental health. A wide range of didactic offerings is available and is prescribed on an individual basis.
All fellows participate in ongoing training in the responsible conduct of research.
The second goal of the program is to provide research training opportunities, in the form research electives, to
rising medical students, in order to attract a diverse and talented group of medical students into psychiatric
research careers. We propose to continue funding two summer research elective slots annually through this
training program, as well as one year-long medical student research fellowship.
Both components of the program, pre- and post-doctoral, are part of a broad research training strategy at the
University of Pittsburgh Department of Psychiatry, to respond to a national shortage of researchers in geriatric
mental health. The Department fosters many research career development activities for students and faculty at
all levels. This training grant both contributes to and benefits from this developmental strategy. In this
continuation we are increasing our efforts to address inclusivity and diversity among geriatric mental health
researchers.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10893305
- **Project number:** 5T32MH019986-28
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH AT PITTSBURGH
- **Principal Investigator:** HOWARD J AIZENSTEIN
- **Activity code:** T32 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $247,790
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 1997-07-15 → 2027-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10893305

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10893305, Clinical and Translational Research Training in Geriatric Mental Health (5T32MH019986-28). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10893305. Licensed CC0.

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