Institutional Research and Academic Career Development Awards (IRACDA) (K12 - Independent Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
Funding Agency:
- National Institutes of Health
The Overarching Objective of the IRACDA program is to develop a diverse pool of well-trained biomedical scientists, who have the technical (e.g., appropriate methods, technologies, and quantitative/computational approaches), operational (e.g., independent knowledge acquisition, rigorous and safe experimental design, and interpretation of data) and professional (e.g. management, leadership, communication, and teamwork) skills necessary to conduct safe, rigorous, and reproducible research, and to transition successfully into independent academic careers in the biomedical research workforce. Funded programs are expected to implement robust plans to enhance diversity and to promote inclusive, safe, and supportive research environments. Specifically, funded programs should have institutional and departmental environments where individuals from all backgrounds are welcomed and feel integrated into and supported by the biomedical community. Safety in research training should encompass (1) environments free from harassment and intimidation, in which everyone participating is treated in a respectful and supportive manner, (2) laboratory and clinical settings where individuals exercise the highest standards of practice for chemical, biological and physical safety, and (3) practices at the institutional leadership and research community levels that demonstrate core values and behaviors to emphasize safety over competing goals.
The IRACDA program provides support for mentored postdoctoral research experiences at a research-intensive institution combined with mentored teaching opportunities at a partner institution with a diverse undergraduate student body. The scholars should develop critical skills, including, but not limited to, the ability to:
- Implement current evidence-informed teaching, mentoring, and research training methods;
- Teach rigorous and safe scientific research methodologies and findings to individuals from diverse backgrounds;
- Work well in teams with colleagues from a variety of cultural and scientific backgrounds;
- Mentor students with sensitivity to cultural differences; and
- Create inclusive, safe, and supportive teaching and learning environments.
Another goal of the IRACDA program is to benefit the teaching-intensive partner institution(s). Examples of benefits include, but are not limited to, providing research-oriented, early career mentors and role models for the students, enhancing science educational offerings, providing research opportunities for the faculty and students, and bringing expertise with cutting edge research methods and technologies to the institution(s).
Application budgets are not limited, but need to reflect the actual needs of the proposed project.
November 07, 2022
Shakira Nelson, Ph.D., National Institutes of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS)
Email: shakira.nelson@nih.gov