Frequently Asked Questions
Eligibility
1. Who should participate in this program?
2. I am an associate professor. Would it be appropriate for me to participate?
3. This program looks great but with my busy schedule, I can only commit to parts of the program. Is this okay?
Application
4. What goes into the application?
5. How much detail should I put into the reasons I should be selected for this program?
6. What should the nominating letter say?
7. What criteria will be used to review the applicants?
8. How many applicants will be accepted?
9. When will I be notified I've been invited to participate in the CDI program?
10. If I am invited to participate in the CDI program, what are the next steps?
Faculty and Program Content
11. Who are the faculty for the program?
12. Is there any preparation required for the program?
13. What is the specific content of the workshop?
14. How much time will I be expected to commit to the program over the 24-month period?
Cost/Registration Fees
15. How much does it cost to participate in the program?
Contact
16. How do I get an answer to a question that does not appear on this page?
Eligibility
1. Who should participate in this program?
The program is geared toward individuals at the critical transition point between the completion of research training and initial faculty appointment or very early in the initial appointment. If you are in the final year of an M.D. or Ph.D. program, an advanced postdoctoral student, or a junior faculty member and are less than two years in a mental health research center trajectory, then you qualify to apply to the CDI.
2. I am an associate professor. Would it be appropriate for me to participate?
Not at this time. Right now, we are focusing on fellows and faculty just beginning their academic careers.
3. This program looks great but with my busy schedule, I can only commit to parts of the program. Is this okay?
No. We strongly believe that the sum of the program exceeds its parts and its participants will achieve a much richer reward by participating in the entire 24-month program. The letter of recommendation provided by your Chair should indicate commitment to complete attendance, as should your personal statement. You will also be expected to sign a statement of intent agreeing to participate fully in the program. To help with planning, we've provided an estimated timetable of program activities.
Application
4. What goes into the application?
The application asks about information on the progress and stage of your career. You will also need to prepare a personal statement, obtain a letter of recommendation, attach your updated curriculum vitae, and attach a signed statement of intent. Sign up to be notified when the application becomes available.
5. How much detail should I put into the personal statement and the reasons I should be selected for this program?
You should provide as much explanation as you can for why this two-year program is important to your career development. Acceptance into the program is a competitive process and the more we know about you and your reasons for wanting to be a participant, the better your chances are.
6. What should the letter of recommendation say?
At a minimum, the letter of recommendation should include an expression of support for your career as a young research investigator as well as commitment that you will participate in the entire 24-month program. The stronger the letter, the better your chances of being accepted. Letters of recommendation should be addressed to the Career Development Institute Review Committee and uploaded as a PDF document as part of the application process.
7. What criteria will be used to review the applicants?
Participants will be chosen on the basis of their academic accomplishments and commitment to a research career in psychiatry as reflected in peer-reviewed publications, applications for research funding, personal statement, and endorsement from a mentor. Diversity on the basis of ethnicity, race, gender, geographic location, institutional affiliation, and scientific interests spanning the spectrum of clinical and interventional research will also be considered.
8. How many applicants will be accepted?
In order to provide a more intimate experience and to provide more meaningful one-to-one time among participants, faculty, and mentors, the CDI is limited to 15-20 participants each year.
9. When will I be notified I've been invited to participate in the CDI program for this coming year?
You will be notified of your selection status no later than January 6, 2012.
10. If I am invited to participate in the CDI program, what are the next steps?
If you are invited to participate in the program, our Coordinator will contact you regarding transportation, lodging, and material you will need to prepare prior to attendance.
Faculty and Program Content
11. Who are the faculty for the program?
CDI program directors are David J. Kupfer, MD, and Alan Schatzberg, MD. CDI faculty include successful senior researchers from the Departments of Psychiatry of the University of Pittsburgh and Stanford University, representatives from the National Institute of Mental Health, and past CDI participants.
12. Is there any preparation required for the program?
Yes. Due to the extensive amount of materials we expect to cover during the program, we are requiring participants to complete a number of exercises before the in person workshop convenes. Prior to applying, please ensure that you are willing to complete these requirements that will take a minimum of 10 hours to complete. (More information will be provided upon acceptance into the program.) To help with planning, we've provided an estimated timetable of program activities.
13. What is the specific content of the program?
Career development activities will occur in four phases over a 24-month period for each annually selected class of participants: online baseline career and skills self-assessment, didactic learning and preparations for four-day in-person workshop and goal setting, long-distance structured mentoring and online continued learning and virtual meetings, and post-program career progress and process evaluation. We offer a sample workshop schedule and a list of activities across the 24-month program.
14. How much time will I be expected to commit to the program over the 24-month period?
We estimate that participants will spend the following amounts of time on the various aspects of the 2-year program.
| Application Materials | 5 hours |
| Pre-workshop Activities | |
| Career and skills assessment | 2 hours |
| Goal setting | 2 - 5 hours |
| Online didactic exercises | 3 hours |
| Oral platform presentation | 2 - 10 hours |
| Mock NIH grant review | 1 hour |
| Workshop | 5 consecrutive days including travel |
| Post-workshop Activities | |
| Trainings and webinar meetings | 2 hours every other month |
| Structured long-distance mentoring and goal-tracking | 2 hours every other month |
| 24-month Evaluation | 1 hour |
| Annual Career Progress Survey | 1.5 hours annually |
Registration Fees
15. How much does it cost to participate in the program?
The CDI will pay for your travel and hotel room to the 4-day workshop and most meals.
Contact
16. How do I get an answer to a question that does not appear on this page?
Email your questions to our Coordinator.