Program Overview

As part of the SPIRIT network, one of 25 Regional Coordinating Centers in the NIH/NINDS Stroke Trials Network, Brown University will seek to enroll one fellow for a year long vascular neurology research fellowship, beginning on or around July 1st of each year.

Each SPIRIT fellow will be paired with a specific StrokeNet co-investigator faculty mentor. All SPIRIT fellows will enroll for credit in at least one and up to five core courses, covering such topics as Epidemiology, Statistics, Developing a Research Proposal, and Fundamentals of Clinical Trials. Courses may be taken at Yale, Brown, or the University of Connecticut. With advance permission of the SPIRIT fellowship director, courses may be taken at other institutions, including on-line programs. Additionally, all SPIRIT fellows will complete a multi-session course on the responsible conduct of research (e.g., CITI RCR). A central component of the training program is the completion of a closely mentored, but independently conducted research project in clinical neurology. 50% of the fellow's time will be protected for research activities.

Eligibility

Eligible candidates include clinicians, residents, fellows, and junior faculty at any of our four institutions (Brown University, Hartford Hospital, Yale University, Northwell Health); external candidates may also apply. Candidates may come from any discipline (e.g., epidemiology, diagnostic imaging, neurology, neurosurgery, nursing, occupational therapy, physical therapy, speech language pathology, physiatry). Fellows enrolled in accredited vascular neurology fellowships are welcome to apply. Candidates may not be receiving other NIH training funds (e.g., K23, K08, Kl2, T32). Candidates do not need to be US citizens or hold a green card.

Selection Criteria

Candidates must:

  1. demonstrate an interest in research related to vascular neurology
  2. provide evidence of exceptional performance in their medical, nursing, or professional training
  3. identify a mentor who will sponsor the research component of their fellowship
  4. submit a fellowship application

Candidates do not need to declare that they plan to seek further K funding or plan on a career that emphasizes research. However, they must be planning to stay in academia involved with stroke research throughout their career (e.g., enrolling patients into trials, writing). Following the application deadline, a multi-institutional fellowship committee will review the written applications to select candidates based on their interest in an academic career related to vascular neurology, promise for success, the quality and feasibility of a project proposal, and the commitment of a primary mentor.

Application Deadlines

The application deadline is currently under review, and will likely be on or about April 1, 2023.  Successful applicants will be notified in late Spring 2023 for fellowship beginning in July 2024.

How to Apply

Please contact Dr. Christoph Stretz (Fellowship Director) at [email protected] or call 401-444-8806.