PI: Neda Laiteerapong
The goal of the HRSA T32 Primary care Investigators Training in Chronic disease & Health disparities (PITCH) Fellowship is to train the next generation of primary care clinical investigators to improve health outcomes and care delivery for patients with chronic diseases from underserved backgrounds.
The PITCH Fellowship will recruit and train fellows from diverse backgrounds each year. Research projects will be aimed primarily at transforming the health care system through value-based care delivery and quality improvement initiatives, as well as improving mental health access and care, ending the crisis of opioid use disorder and overdose in America, and ending the HIV epidemic.
Fellows will attain the core competencies for health services research and formal education addressing responsible conduct of research, oral and written presentation, manuscript and grant writing, leadership skills, and project management. Fellows will be offered the opportunity to complete a Master of Science for Clinical Professionals or Master of Public Health, in addition to receiving dedicated, aligned mentorship with at least biweekly meetings and quarterly mentorship reviews. Through these activities, our fellows will become experts in the key principles of primary care research affecting vulnerable populations, the communication of their findings, leveraging policy to improve equity, and gain the fundamental skills that are required for rigorous academic research careers.
Eligibility:
All primary care clinicians with a commitment to a clinical investigator career will be considered for this two-year fellowship. Non-clinical PhDs are also eligible. Priority will be given to physician candidates from the specialties of internal medicine, family medicine, geriatrics, pediatrics, and infectious disease (HIV) and/or those from underrepresented backgrounds. For those individuals pursuing ID/HIV or geriatrics, acceptance into the PITCH fellowship and the clinical fellowships can be coordinated.
If clinical, applicants must be board-eligible or board-certified in internal medicine, family medicine, and/or pediatrics and eligible for licensure in the State of Illinois by July 1 of their first fellowship year. In addition, due to federal regulations based on our funding, applicants are required to be U.S. citizens or have permanent U.S. residence status at the time of the application.