The Advanced Research Institute (ARI) in Mental Health and Aging is a research education program for early career faculty that focuses on this problem. A component of ARI, the Mentored Biostatistics Faculty Program, helps build the infrastructure of biostatistical collaborations by offering up to four junior biostatistics faculty members the opportunity to participate.

Details

The number of investigators focused on mental health and aging is small relative to the scientific and public health challenges we face. The population is aging rapidly – in terms of longevity, absolute numbers, and relative to other ages – both in the US and in much of the world. These demographic changes offer both challenges and opportunities for new generations of researchers to explicate the contribution of aging to mental illness and to reduce the personal and societal burden of mental illness in older adults.

The Advanced Research Institute (ARI) in Mental Health and Aging is a research education program for early career faculty that focuses on this problem. ARI builds upon a 16-year-old national mentoring network and education program with documented success (Bruce et al., Academic Medicine, 2011; Venegas et al., American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, online 29 October 2018) in helping early-career faculty transition successfully to independent investigators (e.g., R01 funding) and scientific leaders (e.g., mentoring, scientific service). The program is supported by a network of senior and midcareer investigators and supports 16 early-career faculty (called Scholars) annually. Key elements of ARI include: sustained mentoring focused on grant-writing and career development, biostatistical collaboration, professional development, and an annual in-person Spring Retreat. More information about ARI can be found here.

A component of ARI, the Mentored Biostatistics Faculty Program, helps build the infrastructure of biostatistical collaborations by offering up to four junior biostatistics faculty members the opportunity to participate. Consistent with the recommendations of the CTSA (Clinical and Translational Science Awards) biostatistics consortium, they will shadow senior ARI biostatisticians to observe and practice working with early-career faculty in grant development. Plus, they have opportunities to seek input from senior biostatistics faculty on their collaborative roles and career development

Eligible applicants will be doctorate-level statisticians and biostatisticians who meet NIH early-stage investigator (ESI) criteria. The mentored biostatistics faculty will participate as members of the ARI Spring Retreat faculty, including participating in the small groups, seminars, and all faculty meetings. The 2024 Spring Retreat will be April 17 through April 20, 2024 at the Chauncey Hotel and Conference Center in Princeton, NJ.

Each mentored biostatistical faculty member will join a different team of ARI scholars, mentors and senior biostatisticians daily at the retreat to maximize exposure to different consultation and mentoring styles. In addition, they will attend a pre-Spring Retreat orientation webinar, daily group mentoring meetings with all ARI faculty and biostatisticians to discuss their experiences, and a post-retreat follow-up webinar. They will be encouraged to attend ARI monthly webinars to learn more about methodological and substantive issues in this burgeoning field of research.

Travel expenses will be funded through ARI. Questions about this opportunity can be directed to Jane Pendergast.

Applications are due via email (not through the ARI submission system) to Renee Pepin by Dec 22, 2024 and should include:

  • A current CV
  • An NIH biosketch
  • An expression of interest in collaborations in mental health and aging (up to 1 page)
  • Two contacts that can serve as a reference (no letters are needed)