Advanced Neurotrauma Rehabilitation Research Postdoctoral Fellow

Background:

Obtainingacademic research faculty positions and research grant awards is increasinglycompetitive, particularly in the rehabilitation where earmarked grant fundingis limited. Post-doctoral fellows who receive training and develop expertiseconducting secondary analyses of registry data, creating real worldinterventions, designing high quality clinical trials, and writing federalgrant applications are more likely to obtain faculty positions and becomeindependently-funded researchers. The VCU Advanced Neurotrauma RehabilitationResearch Training (ARRT) Center is a federally-funded research training programfor health and function in people with disabilities. The Center forRehabilitation Science and Engineering (CERSE) in VCU’s Department of PM&Rleads VCU ARRT activities, and is uniquely positioned with a 25-year record ofachievement preparing post-doctoral fellows for successful research careers.

CERSE is aVCU-wide research center that partners with VCUHealth, Virginia’s primarysafety net health system of care, Sheltering Arms Institute (SAI), a 114-bedinpatient rehabilitation facility, and the Central Virginia Veterans Affairs HealthCare System (CVHCS) that houses one of five V.A. Polytrauma Centers ofExcellence and the V.A. system’s largest SCI rehabilitation program. Theseclinical partnerships provide ARRT fellows with access to a broad spectrum ofclinician collaborators and research participants. CERSE/ARRT faculty have 60grants/contracts with $111M in total awards, which funds a robust scientificmentoring network and research operations infrastructure to support highquality research fellow training. CERSE/ARRT research faculty lead the V.A.-funded,Long-term Impact of Military-relevant Brain Injury Consortium (LIMBIC, $33M/5years). Richmond hosts the only U.S. Academic-Veterans-Civilian partnership tobe awarded NIDILRR SCI and TBI Model System grants, as well as a V.A. TBI ModelSystem grant. We have extensive, long-term collaborations with Commonwealth ofVirginia Agencies and Community Organizations that provide fellows with accessto participatory action research collaborators who have lived experience ofdisability.

Richmond, VA,the capitol of Virginia, is a thriving city with affordable housing, awell-regarded arts, theatre, and restaurant scene, extensive walking, hikingand biking trails, and two-hour driving access to Virginia Beach, the BlueRidge Mountains, and Washington, DC.

Descriptionof the Opportunity:

The VCU ARRT isfunded by the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, andRehabilitation Research (NIDILRR). The VCU ARRT provides a rich researchtraining experience, including the opportunity to: (1) grow an independent lineof research with a publication record of achievement; and (2) develop expertisein intervention development, participatory action research, clinical trialdesign, and grant writing. The VCU ARRT provides an evidence-informed,independent development plan (IDP)-driven, multiple-mentor training environmentfor fellows to build the skills and record of achievement needed to obtain aresearch faculty position. Two ARRT fellows will train concurrently, and haveaccess to a cohort of postdoctoral research fellows and early career facultyacross VCU and CVHCS. The VCU ARRT provides a supportive research mentoringenvironment including people with lived experience of disability, didactic andhands-on research training, a broad local and national mentorship network,large national research and health claims data registries for secondary dataanalyses, finance, regulatory and pre-award grant support, biostatisticaltraining and resources, and leadership and communication skill-building.

ProgramActivities:

The ARRTpostdoctoral fellow will conduct research to develop accessible, usable, andeffective clinical interventions that improve outcomes important to people withdisabilities. VCU ARRT fellows co-develop an individualized development plan (IDP)with their mentors—tailored to their skill level, training needs, andgoals—that lays the foundation for developing an independent line of research.The training program includes: (1) didactic instruction and workshops thatemphasize learning and application of scientific methods, large data analysesand clinical trial development that meet the evolving nature of rehabilitationresearch and care; (2) a mentoring network that includes a career developmentsponsor, and scientific, associate, and lived experience community mentors; and(3) leveraging PM&R/CERSE’s interdisciplinary rehabilitation researchnetwork, funded grants, and large data registries to provide fellows withopportunities to participate in collaborative research, publish manuscripts,conduct a pilot study, and present at local, regional and national conferences.

A key aspect ofthe program is community-based participatory action research (CBPR), which isexpected to inform the fellow’s line of research. With mentor guidance, fellowswill select among CERSE’s many community partners to begin collaborating onconducting research with constituent feedback and input. This ensures thefellow’s proposed interventions and research objectives will be highlyresponsive to the needs of people with disabilities.

Fellows mayalso pursue coursework relevant to their topic of choice and theskill-development needs identified in their individualized development plandeveloped with their mentors.

The primaryfellowship goals are to develop a publication portfolio in the fellow’s line ofresearch, work towards seeking a research faculty or similar position, and preparepreliminary materials for a research career development or other grantapplication that the fellow can use in their subsequent role.

VCUPostdoctoral Services offers an array of skills and career developmentactivities/programs that can complement your activities and assist you yourfuture career. VCU offers career services, grant writing assistance, a Postdocgrant academy, travel and research awards, and networking events.

MentoringTeam:
Each Fellowwill select a team of mentors to serve the multidisciplinary research andtraining needs of their chosen line of research. The complete list of availablementors is on the CERSE website at  https://pmr.vcu.edu/research/.

Applicationtimeline and duration:
The ARRT Fellowshipis a two-year fellowship. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.

Eligibility:
Applicants mustcomplete all MD or PhD graduation requirements including dissertation defenseprior to their ARRT start date.

Minimum Hiring Standards:
Requires a Ph.D. in psychology, rehabilitation, social work, public health, nursing, or related field
Knowledge of treatments/interventions for people with acquired disabilities
Proficiency in developing, navigating and maintaining database files (e.g., REDCap, Excel, SPSS, etc.)
Evidence of excellent initiation, interpersonal and organizational skills
Evidence of excellent communication skills, both oral and written
Has a publication history
Interest and commitment to improving the lives of people with acquired disabilities and/or their families
Evidence of working well as part of a research project or team
Demonstrated ability to work in and foster an environment of respect, professionalism and civility with a population of faculty, staff, and students from various backgrounds and experiences, or a commitment to do so as a team member at VCU

This is a restricted position with no set end date and continued employment is dependent upon availability of funding.

As determinedby the NIDILRR budget, fellows will be hired as a postdoctoral research fellowwith an entry level postdoctoral fellow salary according to the 2024 NationalResearch Service Awards (NRSA) stipend levels [https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-24-104.html]. A successful candidate for the position is expected to reside in theRichmond, VA area in order to develop in-person experience in interventiondevelopment and clinical trials. Hybrid-remote and flexible work arrangementsare available if they do not interfere with the candidate’s research andtraining.

Salary Range: Set according to NIH NRSA guidelines

Position Details:

Department: Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
Employment Type: PD - Post Doc
Restricted Status: Yes
FTE: 1.00
Exemption Status: Exempt

Contact Information:

Contact Name: Joshua Hahn

Contact Email: Joshua.Hahn@vcuhealth.org