StARR Program Research Training
The StARR program is designed to enable resident-investigators to have a comprehensive, integrative and formal career development experience with the goal of positioning our resident-investigators to become the next generation of academic leaders in heart, lung and blood disorders.
Program Aims:
- Optimize the acquisition of individualized scientific expertise, including conceptual development of scientific thinking, rigorous understanding of research methods, and values and principles that uphold the highest ethical and regulatory standards.
- Prepare resident-investigators to thrive in the new collaborative research environment by fostering skill development in team-based science and mentorship, and by creating the social and cultural construct that will increase feelings of self-efficacy as a scientist.
- Ensure that resident-investigators develop the expertise to advance academically and transition toward scientific independence.
The StARR program will develop a pipeline of highly skilled and diverse resident-investigators who will have developed an accomplished track record and will be competitive for future K38, T32, F-type, and K-type career development awards, will be highly sought after for subspecialty fellowship, and will have increased likelihood of retention as clinician-investigators in academic medicine.
Team-Science Approach
The StARR program provides research training in a comprehensive manner, by both advancing the trainee’s professional career as well as laying the foundation for a future successful career as a physician-scientist.
This program invokes the concept of the "T-shaped scientist", where the vertical bar of the T is the depth of scientific knowledge/skill and the horizontal bar represents the ability to collaborate across disciplines. The resident-investigator's mentors along with his/her Mentorship Committee members will build the vertical bar skills (e.g., scientific knowledge, study-design, writing), and the Team Science program will add some of the horizontal bar skills.
As the team-science approach to research grows, the ability to form cross-disciplinary connections becomes increasingly important to scientific and overall career success. Structured sessions will include team building and team management, but will also include other important skills such as managing laboratory budgets, fostering innovative/entrepreneurial thinking, and time management, which can be essential to maximize career success.
Research in Progress Seminars
Weekly research seminars featuring two 30-minute presentations from senior fellows and faculty are ongoing in each of our three disciplines (cardiology, pulmonary and hematology) for both medicine and pediatrics. StARR scholars are expected to attend the relevant weekly RIP seminar, ensuring exposure to a wide variety of research topics. Resident-investigators are also expected to present their research in this forum once per year.
Research Methods Conference
For each of our the disciplines (cardiology, pulmonary and hematology) for both medicine and pediatrics, monthly conferences will be held focused on experimental methods applied to heart, lung and blood research that are conducted by each of the fellowship programs. This includes local and invited speakers. StARR scholars are expected to attend these conferences.
Responsible Conduct of Research and Good Clinical Practice
This is seminar series is expected of all StARR scholars. The MPIs and the members of the Internal Advisory Committee guarantee that all scholars will conduct research in a responsible manner, defined as the practice of scientific investigation with integrity which involves the awareness and application of established professional norms and ethical principles in the performance of all activities related to scientific research.