# Stimulating Access to Research in Residency (StARR)

> **NIH NIH R38** · MEDICAL COLLEGE OF WISCONSIN · 2020 · $274,018

## Abstract

Project Summary
This is a new institutional application that offers the Medical College of Wisconsin (MCW) a unique opportunity
through its Department of Medicine Internal Medicine Residency Program, to recruit, train, and retain promising
physician-scientist candidates (2 slots/year) and reverse the troubling losses from the physician-scientist pool.
The program will be co-directed by Drs. Widlansky and Eapen, co-directors of the program, are both highly
successful physician scientists with strong track records training medical students, residents and fellows. The
goal of our program is to provide a versatile, integrated and effective approach for training the next generation
of physician scientists in subspecialties of internal medicine that prepare them for a career in academics. We
propose an interactive collaborative program designed with specific milestones, training, and metrics for both
trainees and mentors. The program will include 5 critical components designed to overcome potential barriers
and limitations for launching and sustaining a successful academic research career: i) individualized
development plans, ii) dedicated multidisciplinary mentoring team, iii) protected research time, iv) research
support including dedicated time for skill building, and v) an environment of integrated clinical and research
experiences. Each trainee will be guided by a primary mentor in MCW’s Cardiovascular Center (CVC), the Center
for International Blood and Marrow Transplant Research (CIBMTR) or the Division of Hematology-Oncology. An
individualized development plan (IDP) will include foundational elements of progressive responsibility,
coordination across multiple levels of translation, interactions with mentors and other clinical scientists, peer-to-
peer learning opportunities, specific coursework, seminars, and conferences. Trainees will meet with primary
mentors weekly to confirm milestones are met, and training in core competencies of ethical conduct of research,
grant and manuscript writing, study design and management, reproducibility of data, and communication
(mentoring, teamwork, networking, and oral presentation skills). Along with the Directors and two Associate
Directors, an Advisory Committee, composed of multi- departmental MCW faculty with extensive experience with
career development, leadership, and directing training grants, will provide program oversight and monitor trainee
progress. An External Advisory Committee will comprehensively review the training program annually. Overall,
the ultimate goal of this training program is to train the next generation of physician-scientists, including
underrepresented minorities, by incorporating broad-based, personalized, supportive, and rigorous training
opportunities.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9962491
- **Project number:** 5R38HL143561-03
- **Recipient organization:** MEDICAL COLLEGE OF WISCONSIN
- **Principal Investigator:** MARY EAPEN
- **Activity code:** R38 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $274,018
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2018-07-01 → 2022-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9962491

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9962491, Stimulating Access to Research in Residency (StARR) (5R38HL143561-03). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9962491. Licensed CC0.

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