Emory Pediatrics and Pathology Stimulating Access to Research in Residency (Emory-PP StARR).

ABSTRACT The proposed Emory Pediatrics and Pathology Stimulating Access to Research in Residency (Emory- PP StARR) Program aims to leverage the rich infrastructure and interdisciplinary research environment at Emory to increase the number of physician-scientists in the Pediatric and Pathology disciplines through

enhanced recruitment and retention of residents into meaningful independent research careers investigating heart, lung, and blood health. This goal will be operationalized through the development of an additional 4-year track within an existing Pediatrics Research-in-Residency training program and the development of a new 5-

year combined Anatomic and Clinical Pathology Residency that will accelerate research independence while still fulfilling all requirements for clinical Board certification in either Pediatrics or Pathology. The Emory-PP StARR Program will offer in-depth training in the fundamentals of research, will foster an Emory-PP StARR

specific mentoring program that is tailored to the training needs of resident physicians, and will build a systematic approach for identifying and recruiting a diverse cohort of resident physicians into the Program. Research training will combine structured curriculum sessions and flexible personalized options, with an

additional year of residency devoted to mentored research and preparation of career development award proposals. As a result of the size and diversity of our Pediatrics Residency Program, as well as the existing focus on research within the Pathology Residency Program, we expect to offer this opportunity to a highly

competitive pool of eligible candidates. Careful attention will be paid to matching resident-investigators with mentors based on research interests and mentoring style, drawing from the talented pool of faculty Preceptors dedicated to training the next generation of clinician-scientists. Faculty with NIH-funded programs in Blood and

Immune System Research, Heart Research, and Lung and Respiratory Diseases Research that address critical challenges posed in the NHLBI’s Strategic Vision have been carefully assembled for this program. Our Specific Aims are 1. To implement and monitor a structured research training program for resident-

investigators. 2. To foster a clinician-scientist identity among resident-investigators, including through a tailored mentored research experience. 3. To recruit and retain a diverse group of resident-investigators. With novel approaches to recruit, train, and retain residents, a dedicated Core Leadership Team, renowned scientists as

Preceptors, and robust institutional commitment in an exceptional research environment, the Emory-PP StARR Program is well poised to achieve our overarching objective of equipping clinician-scientists to pursue successful careers in biomedical research.