NSADA (Neurological Sciences Academic Development Award, K12) is an NINDS funded training program that supports career development experiences for pediatric neurologists leading to research independence. There is a growing need to train and develop research-oriented academic pediatric neurologists and future leaders in the field. Candidates who have completed a child neurology residency are eligible for this funding.
Under this award, newly trained pediatric neurologists are to be selected and appointed to this program by the grantee institution. It is expected that individuals appointed to the NSADA program will subsequently apply for their own Mentored Clinical Scientist Development Award (K08) or the Mentored Patient-Oriented Career Development Award (K23) to continue their research training.
More detailed information can be found at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PAR-03-103.html.
There is a growing concern that the current pediatric neurology residency programs may not be providing the necessary training for the development of research-oriented academic pediatric neurologists and future leaders in the field. During the long (5-6 year) residency program, residents focus on clinical duties and, upon completion they do not often enter a research career because of the lack of start up funds and protected time. With increasing pressure for clinicians to generate their salaries through clinical “productivity” and limited budgets, few departments are able to creatively carve out "academic" time as they did in the past. A recent national survey of all (58) Pediatric Neurology Training Programs that were active from 1997-2002 showed that 64.5% of the available positions were filled, for a total of 58 residents per year. Approximately 47% of the trainees were International Medical Graduates (IMGs). Thus, there is a pool of 27 Pediatric Neurologists/per year who may be eligible to practice in the US. It is from this limited pool that the future Academic Pediatric Neurologists will emerge. Although 82% of the trainees consider a career in academic pediatric neurology (n=22), few pursue this course because of the plethora of financially attractive clinical positions available. These positions do not provide any incentives for research. The expansion of the NSADA program to more institutions will bring additional successful candidates to academic pediatric neurology. Recent efforts by the Child Neurology Society and Child Neurology Foundation to increase the number electing a career in pediatric neurology seem to be working; in January 2005, 86 applicants matched to a U.S. pediatric neurology residency program in the inaugural year of Child Neurology Matching Program.
The grantee programs must have a well-established research and clinical career development program and qualified faculty to serve as mentors. The research candidate, mentor, and institution must develop innovative programs to maximize the available research and educational resources. The NSADA program may support research trainees for up to a maximum of three years consisting of consecutive 12-month appointments. Depending on the needs of the individual candidate, support may be divided into two distinct phases:
Phase I, the didactic component; and Phase II, an intensive research experience under the guidance of a qualified mentor. During Phase I the candidate will acquire knowledge and research skills in scientific areas relevant to the career development goals of the research candidate. This phase must include relevant didactic and laboratory experiences that are consistent with the research candidate's prior experience and needs. During Phase II the candidates will carry out their research experiences.
The NINDS expects trainees appointed to the NSADA program to have demonstrated potential to develop into successful researchers. At least 75 percent of the candidate's full-time professional effort must be devoted to the program and the remainder devoted to developing other clinical and teaching pursuits consonant with the objectives of the award. The NSADA may support up to a maximum of 3 years of research career development activities.
A total of 4 trainees may be appointed to each program for the entire 5 year period. Only 1 trainee may be appointed to each program in any given year. No new appointments may be made during year 5 of each program. However, NINDS will continue to support individual trainees for the full 3-year duration of their appointment.
Research candidates appointed under this program award must be U.S. citizens or non-citizen nationals, or have been lawfully admitted for permanent residence and possess an Alien Registration Receipt Card (I-151 or I-551) or some other verification of legal admission as a permanent resident. Research candidates, who are or have been former principal investigators on NIH individual mentored career awards (K01, K08, K22, K23), research projects (R01), FIRST Awards (R29), sub-projects of program project (P01) or center grants (P50), or the equivalent, are not eligible for appointment under this program. Exceptions may be made for individuals who are reentering the research field after an extended absence or are making a significant shift in their research focus that requires that they have additional training.
The maximum allowable salary is $75,000 per year, and the maximum allowable research costs are $20,000 per year for the didactic phase, and $50,000 per year for the research phase. Research funds may be used for: (a) tuition, fees, and books related to career development; (b) research expenses, such as supplies, equipment and technical personnel; (c) travel to research meetings or training; and (d) statistical services including personnel and computer time.
The NINDS funded five NSADA Programs in 2004 for five years. They are in alphabetical order:
We would like to make sure that all of the funding oppotunities are filled by qualified child neurology trainees. The descriptions of each of the programs are provided below.
Principal Investigator: Solomon L. Moshé, M.D.
Professor of Neurology, Neuroscience & Pediatrics
Albert Einstein College of Medicine
Department of Neurology
1410 Pelham Parkway So. , K316
Bronx , NY 10461
Phone: 718-430-2447
Fax: 718-430-8899
E-mail: moshe@aecom.yu.edu
Next available opening: Starting July 2006
AECOM is the academic home to one of the oldest and well known Pediatric Neurology residency program in the US, centered in the ethnical, racially and socioeconomically diverse county of the Bronx, with more than 1.3 million residents, over 80% of whom are members of minority groups. This program may be in a unique position to forge translational, interdisciplinary research, and provide cutting-edge scientific leadership that is socially responsible. The record of the Pediatric Neurology faculty is outstanding in research and in training excellent Pediatric Neurologists. As all faculty members are also practicing pediatric neurologists, they have a keen understanding of pressing questions in pediatric neurology and in balancing time between patient care and research. The research is especially recognized in epilepsy, audition and language perception, and in autism. Drs. Moshé, Rapin, Shinnar, and Steinschneider are considered authorities in their respective areas.
The overall goal of this proposal is to provide the opportunity to Pediatric Neurology residents for training in investigating the impact of epilepsy on brain development, language and behavior as a basis for an academic career. The faculty has used a variety of approaches to study these issues and their collaborations have yielded results that could not be achieved using a single approach. The basic science work in Dr. Moshé’s laboratory revealed that, in animal models of epilepsy, status epilepticus in the developing brain does not produce structural abnormalities such as seen in the adult brain. Clinical epidemiological studies led by Dr Shinnar confirmed these observations in humans Their collaboration has led to new experiments in animals to clarify the mechanisms underlying the clinical observations and to the design of novel approaches to studying seizures in humans. A notable recent example is the NINDS funded grant on the “Consequences of Prolonged Febrile Seizures” (Shinnar PI). This multicenter study utilizes Dr. Shinnar’s expertise in epidemiology and Dr. Moshé’s expertise in clinical neurophysiology. The studies to date suggest that, under specific circumstances (ie, prior abnormal development, genetic substrate or intercurrent illness), age-specific structural and most often functional consequences may occur leading to the development of epilepsy and behavioral disturbances, including language disorders and autistic behaviors. Understanding the mechanisms underlying this process will undoubtedly lead to better preventive treatments. Another example is autism. Dr. Rapin has a long and distinguished record in autism research; Dr. Shinnar has performed epidemiologic studies on epilepsy and autism; Dr. Steinschneider is contributing his expertise on the basic mechanisms of auditory processing; Dr. Sussman on auditory scene analysis; Dr. Dunn on the development of auditory processes and semantic organization in autism and Dr. Moshé provides his knowledge of clinical neurophysiology. Thus, there are ample research opportunities within our theme that will enable our trainees to take advantage of our combined expertise and collaborations. We have already identified 3 outstanding candidates. The proposal submitted by one of them, Dr. Kathryn McVicar, is a good example of a joint effort. While under the mentorship of Dr. Shinnar, she is working closely with several of the investigators mentioned above in understanding the relationship between epilepsy and language regression.
With the availability of a program-based career development award, we will be able to enhance the infrastructure and recruit additional mentors for our Trainees, beyond the existing Pediatric Neurology faculty. Indeed, AECOM has many researchers studying brain development and its aberrations who have offered to be mentors. Thus, we anticipate that the Trainees will be able to combine methods and concepts from various established projects to advance their goals.
Principal Investigator: Darryl De Vivo, M.D.
Division of Pediatric Neurology
The Neurologic Institute
710 West 168th Street
New York, NY 10032
212-305-5244
Fax: 212-305-7036
Email: DcD1@columbia.edu
Next available Opening: July 1, 2006
This K12 award represents a competing continuation of the Neurological Sciences Academic Development Award (NSADA) program at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons. Columbia University has proven to be an optimal environment to support career development experiences for pediatric neurologists leading to research independence. The Pediatric Neurology Service is embedded in the Clinical Departments of Neurology and Pediatrics, and has a 70-year history of excellent patient care, teaching and training. The NSADA Training Program is embedded in the Clinical and Basic Neuroscience Departments and has a 10-year history of mentoring Child Neurology Trainees to become well-trained independent clinician-researchers.
Eight highly-qualified NSADA trainees have been recruited into the program since 1993. Three have finished the program and are faculty members at respected institutions. Four continue their training at Columbia University and are Junior Faculty members with joint appointments in Neurology and Pediatrics, and one is interphasing clinical and research training during residency.
The Program Director is internationally recognized for his clinical scientific expertise, leadership and administrative capabilities. He is advised by two committees: (1) The Clinic Training Program Selection Committee, and (2) The NSADA Advisory Committee. The NSADA faculty is selected from the clinical and basic neuroscience faculties at the medical center. Fifty potential mentors are listed: each an accomplished investigator with a distinguished track record of providing equivalent training for other graduate students. The dedication and talent of the program faculty and the extraordinary institutional resources provide the NSADA trainees with an outstanding opportunity to achieve independence as future clinician-researchers, thereby mitigating the current central challenges facing the national clinical research enterprise. A 9th trainee has been identified and will enter the NSADA Training Program on July 1, 2005 as the second of four additional trainees who entered the program according to the newly revised guidelines. All trainees are introduced to the basic principles and practice of clinical research by the Program Director and the Primary Mentors. Additional course work offered through the Mailman School of Public Health and the Irving Center for Clinical Research is available.
Principal Investigator: William C. Mobley, M.D., Ph.D.
Department of Neurology, A343
Stanford, CA 94305
Phone: 650-723-6424
Fax: 650-725-7459
Email: ngfv1@stanford.edu
Next Available Opening: Starting in July 2005 and July 2006
The theme of the NSADA training program at Stanford is ‘Translational Developmental Neuroscience’. The goals of the program thus go beyond training skilled child neurologists to understand how research is carried out. The program will teach trainees how basic science and clinical insights can be integrated to understand how disease mechanisms are reflected in disease phenotypes. We expect trainees to understand research, to consider how their research insights can be used to support translational efforts, and to productively engage in such work in a way that either directly or through collaborative efforts can be expected to lead to meaningful improvement in health.
The Stanford neuroscience community stands behind this program. Stanford University and its Medical Center provide an outstanding environment for training. Many of its faculty are recognized nationally and internationally for their contributions. The faculty have diverse interests, with strong programs focused at all levels of nervous system study – from genes to cells to circuits to neural systems and behavior. Importantly, there is excellence in both basic and clinical neuroscience.
An important recent development is the establishment of the Neurosciences Institute at Stanford (NIS). The NIS exists to foster the community of neuroscience scholars at Stanford. Under the NIS, the integrated efforts of basic and clinical scientists are catalyzing new initiatives in nervous system biology and its disorders. By examining the blocks to translation for neurological disorders, and by creating mechanisms to circumvent them, the NIS is creating a new culture for translating neuroscience discoveries. More than 100 NIS faculty members come from 17 clinical and basic science departments in the Schools of Medicine, Humanities and Sciences, and Engineering. They are highly supportive of creating the culture needed to allow Stanford to excel in translational neuroscience. Initiatives aimed at both discovering disease mechanisms and translating those discoveries to the care of patients are being launched. Organized as “Working Groups”, each disease-specific initiative involves the concerted efforts of basic scientists, clinicians, industry scientists and patients.
Faculty will participate in the training program in one or more of five roles: 1) as a member of the Guiding Committee – consisting of the Director and Co-Directors; 2) as a member of the Training Review Committee; 3) as a mentor; 4) as a member of the Clinical Training Faculty; and 5) as a member of the Consulting Faculty – consisting of industry scientists and industry clinicians. The Guiding Committee will oversee and coordinate the program. The Clinical Training Faculty will be responsible for the design of the clinical training experience and for the evaluation of this aspect of trainee performance. The Training Review Committee will counsel trainees in their choice of mentor, review research proposals, and review progress reports. The Mentoring Faculty will focus on the needs of individual trainees. The Consulting Faculty will organize a seminar series devoted to the design, development, distribution, and implementation of new therapies.
The training program consists of five elements: 1) clinical competence; 2) mentored research; 3) exposure to clinical trials methods; 4) training for translational research; and 5) exposure to development of therapeutics.More details about the training elements and our program can be obtained at http://neuroresident.stanford.edu/pedi/NSADA_Stanford_2004.htm.
Inquiries about Stanford's program should be sent to the Director, William Mobley, MD, PhD (ngfv1@stanford.edu, 650-723-6424). You may also contact co-directors, Jin Hahn, MD (jhahn@stanford.edu) or Terence Sanger, MD, PhD (sanger@stanford.edu), if you have any questions.
Principal Investigator: Donna Ferriero, M.D.
University of California San Francisco
Department of Neurology Box 0663
521 Parnassus Avenue C215
San Francisco, CA 94143-0663
415-502-1099
415-502-5821 (fax)
Email: ferrierod@neuropeds.ucsf.edu
Next available opening: All positions filled presently.
It is the goal of this competing renewal application for the Neurological Sciences Academic Development Award that we continue to train, with the highest rigor, candidates who will succeed in academic child neurology. At UCSF, we have created a program that fosters clinical excellence and rigorous postgraduate scientific training. The NSADA has provided the foundation for our division to grow academically and has allowed us to merge clinical training with scientific discovery. The overall theme of our application is “Mechanisms of neurological diseases presenting in infancy and childhood: phenotype-genotype correlations.” We will offer rigorous basic and translational scientific training to young investigators skilled at recognizing the phenotypes of complex childhood neurological diseases. This clinical training will allow them to ask important questions about the complex genetics of disease, and should bring understanding to a variety of diseases where the gene is known but the mechanism of disease is not. Our first candidate will study the phenotype-genotype correlations in Tuberous Sclerosis Complex focusing on a subset of patients who present with infantile spasms. She will use the facilities of the Pediatric Clinical Research Center to form a clinical database for these patients, the resources of the Tuberous Sclerosis Alliance for patient enrollment, and the established expertise of leaders in neuroimaging and cell biology of the malformed proteins, tuberin and hamartin. Additional candidates have been identified who will, upon completion of their clinical training, investigate such disorders as channelopathies and autism. We have included in the grant, as well as the appendices, the rich resources that are provided to these applicants. With well established, nationally recognized and supported training programs to support the didactic phase, coupled with a team of research scientists committed to the career development of child neurologists, we will succeed in bringing forth the next generation of leaders in academic child neurology.
Principal Investigator: Steven Rothman, M.D. Ph.D.
Department of Neurology - Box 8111
Washington University School of Medicine
660 South Euclid Avenue
St Louis , Mo 63110
314-454-6084 phone
314-362-9462 fax
Email: rothman@wustl.edu
Next available opening: All positions filled presently.
Since the arrival of Philip Dodge, MD, in 1966, Washington University School of Medicine and St. Louis Children’s Hospital have been responsible for the education of over 75 pediatric neurologists, including many who have remained in academic careers in the United States and abroad. The renewal application of our Neurological Sciences Academic Development Award (NSADA) demonstrates that Washington University’s commitment to clinically relevant neurobiological research has not wavered. At this time, the Washington University Medical Center is an incredibly vibrant place for all types of neuroscience investigation. There are over 120 members of the full-time faculty engaged in basic, translational, or clinical neuroscience research. Their research projects extend into a variety of departments, including Anatomy & Neurobiology, Cell Biology & Physiology, Molecular Biology & Pharmacology, Anesthesiology, Neurology, Neurological Surgery, and Psychiatry. Much of the work is done cooperatively, and it is very common for faculty from several departments and their associated graduate students and post doctoral fellows to collaborate on a single project. Indeed, visitors from other institutions often comment on the degree of interaction and congenial atmosphere here.
The faculty for this grant are a selected subset of the larger neuroscience community. Several are members of the full-time faculty in Neurology and the remainder have research interests that juxtapose well with pediatric neurology. In addition, all of the faculty outside of pediatric neurology have already had significant interactions with current faculty or trainees in pediatric neurology. The broad areas of emphasis are: developmental neuroscience, cognitive neuroscience, neurogenetics, neuronal injury, and epilepsy
We broadly envision two types of trainees, MD, PhDs and traditionally educated MDs, who have completed a residency in child neurology and we have outlined an educational program appropriate for each. The program will be specifically tailored for the four trainees and depend heavily upon their prior research experience and career preferences. Trainees who enter the program with extensive research experience will be encouraged to replenish their fund of knowledge and then embark upon new research with the guidance of the Program Director and an Executive Committee. Less experienced trainees may spend up to a year in formal course work in the Neuroscience Program of the Division of Biology and Biomedical Sciences of Washington University. In either case, trainees will be able to draw on the resources of 23 mentor faculty committed to this application and the wider neuroscience community. While trainees will be expected to receive most of their supervision from their specific mentors, there is enormous interaction between the senior mentors and their respective laboratories, so trainees will have abundant opportunities for contact with experienced researchers. Graduates of NSADA training should be competitive for independent funding (K08 level or equivalent).
While we plan for our 4 positions to be filled by graduates of our own residency at this time, we will alert the pediatric neurology community if there is an unanticipated vacancy. Inquiries should be sent to Steven Rothman, MD (rothman@wustl.edu; 314-454-6084).