Postdoctoral Fellows

The ARTS program is designed to encourage and support residents and fellows in advanced training in a field that will augment their success in CTR and enable them to pursue a PhD in a discipline of their choice.

The ARTS Program offers the opportunity to combine clinical training with advanced research training to complete a PhD degree during or upon completion of residency or clinical fellowship. The program begins with one or more years of postgraduate clinical training, followed by research training in a graduate program in Stanford University's Schools of Medicine, Engineering, or Humanities and Sciences.

Residents/clinical fellows admitted to the program complete clinical training toward board certification in internal medicine, its subspecialties (cardiovascular medicine, hematology, immunology and rheumatology, infectious diseases, nephrology, oncology, pulmonary and critical care medicine), surgical disciplines (neurosurgery, obstetrics and gynecology, surgery and urology), or non-surgical disciplines (neurology, pediatrics, psychiatry, radiation oncology and radiology).

The one-year Biodesign Fellowship is structured around four-member Biodesign teams comprised of a mix of engineers and physicians with different backgrounds. Each team is immersed in a specific clinical specialty area and mentored through a three-month needs-finding experience. Spectrum supports two fellows each year in this program.

The National Institutes of Health, through its Office of Clinical Research Training and Medical Education, offers several courses for online training in the area of clinical research.

Introduction to the Principles and Practice of Clinical Research

This is a course on how to effectively conduct clinical research, formalizing instruction that is normally taught through mentorship. The recommended textbook is Principles and Practice of Clinical Research, second edition (2007), edited by John I. Gallin and Frederick P. Ognibene and published by Academic Press/Elsevier (Lane Library | Amazon).
» Course information and application.

Principles of Clinical Pharmacology

This course consists of a weekly lecture series covering the fundamentals of clinical pharmacology as a translational scientific discipline focused on rational drug development and utilization in therapeutics. The recommended textbook is Principles of Clinical Pharmacology, Second Edition (2007) edited by Arthur J. Atkinson, Jr., et al. and published by Academic Press/Elsevier (Amazon). This complements the material covered in the “Introduction to the Principles and Practice of Clinical Research.”

This course was designed to assist individuals who are preparing to take the certifying examinations of the American Board of Clinical Pharmacology and to meet the needs of researchers with an interest in the clinical pharmacologic aspects of contemporary drug development and utilization.
» Course information and application.

Clinical Research Training Online Course for Principal Investigators

This course addresses one of the essential standards approved by the NIH for performing clinical research in the Intramural Research Program. This material is also covered by the "Introduction to the Principles and Practice of Clinical Research" and "Ethical and Regulatory Aspects of Human Subjects Research" courses.
» Course information and application.

Ethical and Regulatory Aspects of Clinical Research

This course is offered to anyone interested or involved in clinical research involving human subjects.
» Course information and registration.

Stanford supports a range of opportunities for candidates to pursue more than one advanced degree. MD students may expand their academic aspirations to include a Master's or PhD. Doctoral students may apply to the new MS in Medicine program. Students may venture to other Stanford schools to obtain an MBA, JD, or even to Berkeley to get an MPH.



Decisions about second degrees can involve many factors and second degree options must be discussed with both academic and financial aid advisors, as well as with admission officers of the program of interest, to ensure each student can meet academic, admission, and tuition requirements.

In a joint degree program, a single course may count toward multiple degrees. In a dual degree, you may apply credit from a course to only one degree.

Below are some of the degree combinations that may be of interest to the clinical and translational researcher. Click on any of the following headings for more information.

Bioengineering

Biomechanical Engineering

Biomedical Informatics

Business

Environment and Resources

Epidemiology

Health Services Research

Medicine

Public Health

Public Policy

Masters Degrees

Additional Programs

The Graduate Interdisciplinary Program in Epidemiology and Clinical Research is a research-oriented program that offers instruction and research opportunities leading to the M.S. degree in Epidemiology and Clinical Research. Core faculty and academic teaching staff are administratively housed in the Department of Health Research and Policy; affiliated faculty come from a number of Stanford University departments and other Bay Area centers.

The program is designed to complement graduate training in the medical, behavioral, and social sciences and to prepare physicians and other students for research careers in clinical investigation and epidemiology.

The Program in Epidemiology and Clinical Research has particular strengths in the following areas:

• cancer epidemiology
• infectious disease epidemiology
• neuroepidemiology
• cardiovascular disease epidemiology
• musculoskeletal disease epidemiology
• epidemiologic methods
• genetic epidemiology
• reproductive epidemiology and women’s health.

The Master’s Degree program in Health Services Research is a research-oriented program with a focus on economics and statistics, outcomes research, cost-effectiveness, and technology assessment. This program is designed to complement training in the medical and social sciences and to prepare students for research careers in health services or health policy analysis.

The program provides specialized training in selected areas of health care policy, research methodology, and the application of these skills to a specific research problem.

RECOMMENDED TRAINING

• eProtocol Training
  eProtocol is an online application used at Stanford to submit, review, and approve research (human subjects; stem cells; animal subjects; and biosafety).  More »
• GCP Training through CITI
  If you are new to research or just need a refresher course, Good Clinical Practice (GCP) guidelines are available on-line through the IRB’s CITI training.  More »
• Budgeting and Billing Training
  Required for all new and current employees who work on clinical research projects, if involved in budgeting and billing. Spectrum OTC offers monthly training sessions.   More »
• Orientation to Clinical Research at Stanford (General Orientation)
  Required for new employees who are working in clinical research. At this orientation Spectrum OTC staff will meet with clinical research personnel to provide resources and tools to successfully navigate research studies at Stanford. More »

EDUCATION / WORKSHOPS

• ICCR – Intensive Course in Clinical Research: Study Design and Performance
  The Intensive Course in Clinical Research (ICCR) is a one-week immersion course developed at Stanford for new clinical investigators, senior residents, fellows and junior faculty, interested in pursuing careers in clinical and translational research. More »
• Find a Workshop
  View upcoming CTR educational workshops offered by Spectrum and affiliates, past presentations and videos, a list of courses, or request a workshop.  More »
• Request a Workshop
  View list of workshop topics, or suggest a topic.  More »

OTHER TRAINING RESOURCES – STANFORD

• Spectrum Child Health
  
  • Pediatrics Mentoring Program
    The Pediatrics Mentoring Program is dedicated to the academic enrichment and success of early career investigators in the Department of Pediatrics. More »
  • ICCR – Intensive Course in Clinical Research: Study Design and Performance
    The Intensive Course in Clinical Research (ICCR) is a one-week immersion course developed at Stanford for new clinical investigators, senior residents, fellows and junior faculty, interested in pursuing careers in clinical and translational research. More »
• Lane Library
  Lane Library’s instructional program supports clinical and bioresearch clientele with a class list that includes PowerPoint; Finding Funding; Basics of R Programming; Improving Your Scientific Writing Skills, and dozens more.  More »
• Epic Training
  Epic Training is required for all Stanford Hospital and Clinics physicians and medical personnel who need access to Hospital Medical Records.
  Training is completed online. The specific courses that you are required to complete are dependent on your specialty, sub-specialty and scope of clinical practice.  More »
• Cancer Clinical Trials Office (CCTO)
  The CCTO provides training and quality assurance programs for both new and existing research staff to ensure that Cancer Institute research staff are current on all regulatory requirements as well as SCI standard operating procedures.  More »
• Tech Training
  Stanford University Information Technology Services (ITS) provides technology courses. See the ITS website for training options in the classroom, online, one-on-one by appointment, and custom classes.  More »
• STARS
  The Stanford Training And Registration System (STARS) is Stanford's Learning Management System. Log in to Axess to see the STARS Training website which includes a “STARS Browse Catalog” and a “Training Needs Assessment” tool.  More »
• Learning and Organizational Effectiveness
  LOE Calendar of Course, Programs, and Conferences.  More »
• Office of Sponsored Research (OSR)
  The OSR website provides a list of recommended classes for those working with sponsored research.  More »

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT RESOURCES – NON-STANFORD

• ACRP
  ACRP is the primary resource for clinical research professionals in the pharmaceutical, biotechnology and medical device industries, and those in hospital, academic medical centers and physician office settings.  More »
• University of California Santa Cruz, Extension
  The UCSC Extension Certificate in Clinical Trials Design and Management is designed to help professionals gain a solid understanding of the entire clinical trials process, as well as a foundation in the scientific principles, regulations, and ethics that are vitally important to the conduct of clinical research.  More »
• San Francisco State University Extension
  Through the Clinical Trial Design and Management Certificate Program students may complete a full certificate or simply take those courses which advance their own professional goals. The program is designed to be flexible for working adults by offering evening or weekend courses.  More »
• University of California Berkeley Extension
  UC Berkeley Extension offers a Certificate Program in Clinical Research Conduct and Management which enables you to master practical aspects of clinical trial conduct and management, including clinical trial phases and design, planning, implementation, data analysis, regulatory and procedural guidelines, and ethical considerations.   More »

Key Points

• Some of this training is required before any research participants can be enrolled in a clinical study.
• Most training required for postdocs is managed by your department administrator

Budgeting and Billing Training is required for all new and current employees working on clinical research projects, if involved in budgeting and billing (i.e. research coordinators enrolling study participants).

Training provides a general overview of the clinical research budgeting and billing process. It includes the Budgeting and Billing workbook process; billing procedures; and a review of the Medicare NCD policy.

This 2-hour training is offered monthly. Special training sessions are available for groups or departments upon request.

Key Points

• Recommended for all research personnel who enroll study participants.

This applies if you are a SoM (non-faculty) employee or postdoc who: 1) may be assigned duties with potential for occupational health exposures related to clinical research participants and 2) performs job duties (including Epic access) within SHC, LPCH, and/or other Stanford affiliated research patient care locations. For staff who will participate in any clinical trials/research study, you are required to complete health screening, safety and compliance training administered by Environmental Health & Safety (EH&S) and Stanford University Medical Center (SUMC) HealthStream.

Supervisors start here: Clinical Researchers Occupational Exposures Assessment Questionnaire

Note: As of 10/14/13, the "Clinical Researchers Occupational Exposures Assessment Questionnaire" has replaced the HSSC assessment form.

For more information, go to: http://spectrum.stanford.edu/accordions/staff-training/?ch2=8

The Orientation to Conducting Clinical Research at Stanford (CTR General Orientation) is a two-hour introduction and review of the clinical research process at Stanford University, designed for new clinical research personnel.

Orientation Objectives:

• Provide resources to manage and coordinate clinical research at Stanford University
• Review university departments involved in research (IRB, RMG, OSR)
• Understand key contacts, processes and documentation (maintaining a Regulatory Binder, Stanford Clinical Trials website, Hospital Ancillary Services, Epic, CTRU, HIMS)

Key Points

• Orientation assists new clinical research personnel in navigating the Stanford clinical and translation research (CTR) process.
• Orientation is offered on the second Tuesday of the month.
• Required for new employees who are working in clinical research; recommended for postdoctoral scholars and faculty.

In an effort to promote successful aging and end-of-life care for multicultural older adults, Stanford recently launched an Internet-based Successful Aging training program, called iSAGE. The mini-fellowship is funded with a grant from the National Institute on Minority Health Disparities, and it’s being offered for free to both health-care professionals and members of the public.

Multi-disciplinary health personnel (doctors, nurses, psychologists, social workers, chaplains, occupational therapists, massage therapists, physical therapists, marriage and family therapists and other allied health professionals) interested in learning about the scientific principles of successful aging and end of life care for multi-cultural older Americans should apply to become iSAGE mini-fellows.

It is anticipated that the entire mini-fellowship will take 80 hours of focused studying. These 80 hours can be completed over a three month period.

Good Clinical Practice (GCP) is an international ethical and scientific quality standard, published by the International Conference on Harmonization (ICH), an international body that defines standards, which governments can transpose into regulations for clinical trials involving human subjects.

Good Clinical Practice guidelines include the protection of human rights, safety and welfare during clinical trials. They also assure clinical data integrity.

Good Clinical Practice guidelines include standards on how clinical trials should be conducted; and define the roles and responsibilities of clinical trial sponsors, clinical research investigators and monitors.

Useful Links

• ICH E6: Good Clinical Practice: Consolidated Guidance
• FDA Office of Good Clinical Practice
• FDA Clinical Trials
• International Conference of Harmonization (at FDA)

Education and Training

Stanford Courses

• Collaborative IRB Training Initiative (CITI)
  The CITI trainings offered through the Research Compliance Office include modules in good clinical practice. These modules offer a general overview and are free of charge.
• For more information about CITI training, see the Research Compliance Office website.

• Good Clinical Practice Fundamentals Course
  This one-day course is designed for new clinical research coordinators, nurses and administrative staff, who have limited experience with and no formal training in Good Clinical Practices (GCP). It offers a comprehensive yet concentrated overview of the principles of GCP, FDA and Global Regulations, and the roles and responsibilities of the clinical investigator/site, IRB, sponsor, and study monitor. Emphasis is placed on the translation of GCP principles to the concepts of protocol adherence, informed consent process, good documentation practices, event reporting, and proactive preparation for FDA/Regulatory audits. Interactive exercises and case scenarios facilitate the application of these principles into everyday practice governing the conduct of clinical trials.
• GCP Beyond the Basics
  For more experienced research coordinators, nurses and staff who are already familiar with basic GCP principles and are looking for more detail in areas of interest, four--hour sessions offer expanded instruction in selected GCP areas such as adverse event reporting, informed consent, and audit readiness.
• GCP Brown Bags
  The Good Clinical Practice (GCP) Brown Bag sessions are informal monthly meetings open to anyone in the Stanford research community. Brown Bags offer a chance to meet people outside your department, to discuss topics of interest, ask questions and exchange solutions to common challenges. Past sessions have included discussions on working with non-English speakers, consenting participants over the phone and via mail, drug accountability, good documentation, recruitment, research with devices, and more.
• Meetings occur on the fourth Thursday of each month from 11:30 – 12:30pm. View the Spectrum Education Calendar for details and topics.

Spectrum Funding

In keeping with its core educational mission, Spectrum supports excellence in clinical and translational research (CTR) with funding for specialized training and multiyear degree-granting programs.

The KL2 Mentored Career Development Program provides senior fellows and junior faculty in health-related professions with financial support and advanced training in clinical and translational research. Recipients of this award receive access to career-development mentors, tuition support and a salary subsidy of 37.5-percent of Stanford’s postgraduate-year stipend. Research performed within the KL2 program is designed to help participants obtain future NIH research grants. » More Information

The TL1 Predoctoral and Postdoctoral Research Training Program provides awardees with partial tuition and stipend support for a year of full-time instruction in clinical and translational research methods. Recipients of the TL1 award receive access to career-development mentors, tuition support of up to $16,000 a year and a stipend of up to 100 percent of National Research Service Award stipend levels outlined by the National Institutes of Health. » More Information

The Biodesign Innovation Fellowship allows you to spend a year learning the ins and outs of medtech innovation — from exploring needs in a hospital setting to selecting just the right medical problem to work on. Next, you and your team will come up with dozens of potential solutions and file patents on your best ideas. Spectrum supports two fellows each year in this program. » More Information

Other Funding Sources

• Graduate Aid at Stanford
• Stanford School of Medicine Graduate student funding opportunities
• Stanford School of Medicine financial aid
• External funding sources
• Research or teaching assistantships: Contact individual professors upon acceptance.

This museum-based program partners Stanford’s Department of Genetics and Silicon Valley’s Tech Museum of Innovation. Every year 10-12 graduate students and postdoctoral fellows are trained to guide approximately 1,000 high school students and 5,000 community members through four 15-minute hands-on genetics activities (e.g., DNA analysis, protein purification).

For more information about participating in this program, please see Stanford at the Tech in the Stanford Dept of Genetics Outreach Programs

The Stanford School of Medicine’s Community Academic Profiles (CAP) is an excellent resource for finding a mentor, research jobs and connecting with colleagues.

Learn about the interests of faculty, researchers and students; explore connections across topics, and discover new opportunities to collaborate.

Be sure to log in with your SUNet ID to view complete information in CAP Network.