PrintThe Young Investigators Initiative Grant Mentoring and Career Development Program has engaged more than 300 participants since it began in 2005. To date 180 participants have successfully obtained funding for more than 850 grants totaling more than $210 million. The participants consider this program instrumental to their success.
“With the benefit of all I learned, our research team has significantly improved our proposals, particularly on clinical trial design and data management. To date, we’ve secured two NIH awards totaling more than $2 million.”
Chwan-Li (Leslie) Shen, PhD, CCRP
Left to right: Robert Haralson, III, MD, Joshua Jacobs, MD, Jerrilyn Cambron, DC, MPH, Ryan Mizner, PT, PhD, Nancy Lane, MD, G. Russell Huffman, MD, MPH, Stephen Katz, MD, PhD, Francis Shen, MD, Kurt Spindler, MD, Dina Jones, PhD, PT, Kevin Bozic, MD, MBA, Zaifeng Fan, PhD, Harry Hoyen, MD, Elizabeth Myers, PhD, Emil Schemitsch, MD, John Esdaile, MD, Todd Milbrandt, MD, MS, Janet Yu-Yahiro, PhD, Kornelis Poelstra, MD, PhD, Edward Puzas, PhD, Allen Lehman, MA, PhD, Terese Chmielewski, PT, PhD, Toby King, Antonio Avina-Zubieta, MD, MSc, Esi DeWitt, MD, Chad Cook, PT, PhD, MBA
Sixteen young clinical investigators and seven experienced researchers met May 2005, in Rosemont, Illinois, for the first workshop of the United States and Canadian Bone and Joint Decade's young clinical investigators initiative. A further seventeen young clinical investigators met in Toronto, Canada, in November 2005, for the second workshop of this program. April 2006 the program's third workshop was held, again in Rosemont, Illinois, with the first group returning for their second workshop, and a new incoming group began. Twelve of the original investigators have achieved funding, and fourteen of the original group have submitted applications.
Participants at the Toronto workshop, Fall 2005.
Experienced researchers making up faculty for the program include Nancy Lane, MD, chair of the initiative, Benjamin Alman, MD, John Esdaile, MD, MPH, FRCPC, Marian Hannan, DSc, MPH, Joshua Jacobs, MD, Hans Kreder, MD, Jay Magaziner, PhD, MSHyg, Edward Puzas, PhD, Regis O'Keefe, MD, PhD, Emil Schemitsch, MD, Martha Somerman, DDS, PhD, Kurt Spindler, MD, Cari Whyne, PhD.
Stephen Katz, MD, director, National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS) participated in first workshop, meeting with the young investigators during the afternoon. At dinner later he outlined to the investigators how rewarding a career in research can be and some of the hurdles to overcome to become a successful researcher. Cy Frank, MD, scientific director, Institute of Musculoskeletal Health and Arthritis, Canadian Institutes of Health Research, was the guest speaker at the Fall 2005 workshop, and Mary Crow, MD, president, American College of Rheumatology, at the Spring 2006 session.
The program has been developed because too few young clinical investigators are entering the field of clinical investigation in the musculoskeletal diseases. One of the major hurdles to a young clinical investigator's success is sufficient mentoring in how to write and secure a grant in clinical research. The first workshop attended by participants focuses on grant writing skills in order to build a successful research proposal to NIH standards.
Kevin Bozic, MD, MBA, one of the young investigators sent the USBJD the following message after his first workshop. "I wanted to thank you for including me in an outstanding seminar this past weekend in Chicago. Although I have attended similar workshops in the past, the quality of the faculty, the lectures, and the interaction amongst the faculty and the participants was unsurpassed.; I want to applaud you both for coming up with the idea, and for working hard to make this program a reality. As a young investigator who aspires to become an independently funded health services researcher, I couldn't ask for better training."
Participants follow up from the first workshop by fully developing and submitting their research proposals, aided by faculty working with them as mentors. One year later they attend a second workshop which focuses on a review of the summary statements following submission of their full proposals, as well as discussion on how they will respond and adjust proposals, and a mock study section. Mentors continue to work with the young investigators until they are funded.
The program covers clinical research training and permits collaborative interactions with talented clinical investigators in other organizations involved in musculoskeletal care. These interactions enhance the credibility and visibility of musculoskeletal outcomes research and benefit to our society.
After the second workshop, Dr. Bozic told us, "The USBJD Young Investigators Program has been incredibly valuable to me in achieving my goal of becoming an independently funded Health Services Researcher. The didactic sessions, the one-on-one mentoring, and the networking opportunities gave me the unique opportunity to interact with an experienced group of musculoskeletal scientists and clinician-researchers who have successfully navigated the federal funding process. The benefits to my career have been real and tangible; as a direct result of my participation in this program, I was able to turn an unfunded research grant with a solid score into a funded OREF Career Development Award. I highly recommend the USBJD Young Investigators Program to aspiring clinician-scientists who are interested in pursuing a career in musculoskeletal research."
Ten young investigators who began their participation in the USBJD Young Investigator Initiative in May 2005 returned for their second workshop March 31-April 2, 2006. Kevin Bozic, MD, MBA, orthopaedic surgeon, and physical therapist Dina Jones, PhD, PT, have had grant applications approved. The day after the workshop, Esi DeWitt, MD, MSCE, pediatric rheumatologist, learned that her grant application had been approved. Most of the other young investigators either have submitted grant applications or are in the process of doing so. The weekend focused on a review of summary statements, mentor sessions and a series of min-seminars covering topics the investigators themselves chose, including: grant strategies and specific grant-writing issues led by John Esdaile, MD, and Jay Magaziner, MD, ; mentors, collaborators and team-building, led by Edward Puzas, PhD and Marian Hannan, D.Sc.; collaborations led by John Esdaile, MD; demystifying the promotions process, led by Joshua Jacobs, MD; negotiating a position, led by Martha Somerman, DDS and Kurt Spindler, MD; and work-life issues, led by Nancy Lane, MD.
Theodore Miclau, MD, Chief of Orthopaedic Surgery at San Francisco General Hospital and Professor and Interim Chairman and Director of Orthopaedic Trauma in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at the University of California, San Francisco, flew in Saturday to meet participants and presented a session on Experiences as a clinician, administrator and funded investigator.
On Saturday morning the Presidential line of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons joined the program and spoke to participants, including Richard Kyle, MD, president, Stuart Weinstein, MD, past president, James Beatty, MD, first vice president, and Anthony Rankin, MD, second vice president.
In the afternoon Mary Crow, MD, president, American College of Rheumatology, joined the workshop sessions, and over dinner spoke about the rewards of a career as a clinical researcher.
Participants at the Spring 2006 workshop.
More than 716 young investigators have applied for the program, of which 349 have been selected to participate so far. Participants are limited to ensure an optimal number for each workshop. It is hoped that all applicants will continue to work on their research proposals and that they will be selected to participate in the future. Applicants and participants so far have include the fields of orthopaedics, rheumatology, physical therapy, occupational therapy, physical medicine and rehabilitation, pathology, osteopathy, dentistry, chiropractic, endocrinology, internal medicine, kinesiology, podiatry, pathology, and social/preventative medicine.
Support for the program has been provided by the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (Council on Research and Quality), American Physical Therapy Association, American Society for Bone and Mineral Research, AO North America, Baylis Medical Company, Bone and Joint Canada, Lilly, Medtronic of Canada, Ltd., Musculoskeletal Transplant Foundation, National Athletic Trainers' Association, National Institutes of Health (National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases), University of Toronto (Division of Orthopaedics) and Zimmer, Inc.
