Training

REACH operates within the University of Pittsburgh Department of Psychiatry, which has a long-standing commitment to excellence in the training of clinical researchers at all career stages.

We invite you to learn more about training opportunities.

Postdoctoral training

The University of Pittsburgh provides exceptional support and unique opportunities for scientists interested in pursuing postdoctoral training. We encourage you to visit the University of Pittsburgh’s postdoctoral association’s website.

Within the Department of Psychiatry, there are currently eight NIH funded postdoctoral training grants that provide exceptional training opportunities and salary support. These programs have different areas of emphasis (e.g., adolescent development, alcohol research, sleep) and numerous REACH researchers are available as faculty mentors for trainees interested in research identifying contributors to inequities in mental health and treatment outcomes. Learn more about these opportunities, including application information.

The Department of Psychiatry offers a weekly career development seminar that fosters collaboration with peers, facilitates growth in professional development skills, and offers a writing group where post-docs receive iterative feedback from faculty members as they develop a grant application. Our department also provides extensive support for the development of mentored career development awards to assist post-doctoral trainees in their journey to become independent researchers.

Postdoctoral trainees may be eligible to apply for the NIH Loan Repayment Program. See application information for investigators conducting research that focuses on health disparities. Investigators that come from an environment considered disadvantaged or minoritized with regard to access to higher education are encouraged to apply for the Loan Repayment Program.

Undergraduate, graduate, and medical student trainees

The department of Psychiatry offers a range of opportunities for students to get involved in health equity research. Our REACH faculty offer training and mentorship for students at all stages and levels of prior research experience.

Visit our departmental website to read about additional training opportunities and paid fellowship positions for undergraduate and graduate students.

We also value working with medical students who are interested in conducting research. Learn more about longitudinal research projects and the medical scientist training program. The University of Pittsburgh also offers an immersive pre-med training program for individuals with identities underrepresented in medicine.

Psychiatry residency and clinical psychology internship training

Consistent with the mission of the department, our health equity research programs inform our clinical training. The Respect, Responsibility, and Equity in Medicine (RREM) curriculum is a 4-year curriculum focused on addressing racism in medicine generally and in psychiatry specifically. Psychiatry residents are taught about the history and roots of racism and how medical structures were directly built on this history. The goal of this program is to train residents to practice equitable psychiatry.

Residents interested in gaining research experience are encouraged to learn about the Psychiatry Research Pathway, a program to gain research experience during residency training.

The Western Psychiatric Hospital clinical psychology internship program also pairs research and clinical training opportunities to grow cultural humility to enhance clinical outcomes and advance research skills.  The Diversity, Inclusivity, Cultural humility and Equity (DICE) committee leads these efforts for the internship program. Please contact DICE members to learn more.

NIH Supplements to Promote Diverse Trainees

Research Supplements to Promote Diversity in Health-Related Research (PA-21-071)

Objective: To enhance the diversity of the research workforce by recruiting and supporting students, post-doctorates, and eligible investigators from diverse backgrounds, including those from groups that have been shown to be underrepresented in health-related research. Also available to PD(s)/PI(s) of research grants who are or become disabled and need additional support.

What it is: An administrative supplement submitted by the PI of an ongoing grant (parent award e.g., R01, R00, R21, R34) to support a candidate in obtaining training to conduct research. Due dates and budgets vary by awarding Institute.

Click here to learn more or download our resource guide

Bloom

Bloom by Jasmine Green