• For most candidates, the application will be due on February 1 of the PL-3 year.
• Candidates who are fast-tracking in pediatrics should identify themselves in the fall of the PL-2 year.
• Subspecialty programs such as cardiology, critical care, emergency medicine, and neonatology may be extending their clinical requirements to 18-24 months. Thus, some applicants in those disciplines will not be able to complete their clinical requirements in 12 months, prior to entering the period of PSDP-supported research. Applicants whose disciplines require 13-24 months of clinical responsibilities may apply to the PSDP by February 1 of their first fellowship year. The section chief and department chair must guarantee in writing that those 17 months will be spent to complete clinical requirements or other departmental responsibilities, prior to the start of PSDP-supported research.

• Candidates must have an M.D. or M.D./Ph.D. degree and must be enrolled in a pediatric training program. Only one training position each year is available for all M.D./Ph.D. applicants.
• Candidates must be U.S. citizens, permanent residents, or Canadian citizens.
• A candidate must be nominated by the Chair of the pediatric department in which the candidate completes his/her pediatric residency. The nominating department bears the responsibility of sponsorship or identification of another sponsoring department for support of clinical fellowship training and must commit to assist the candidate in finding a junior faculty position at the conclusion of PSDP training.
• The Chair of the sponsoring department (which may or may not be the same as the nominating department) commits to funding the clinical component of fellowship training and to assisting in the identification of a junior faculty position that provides two years of support with 75% time free for research.
• The Sponsoring Chair must also verify that the candidate will have no clinical duties during the first two years of PSDP-sponsored research training. Candidates receiving funding for a third year may incorporate up to 15% clinical time in their program. Exceptions to this plan must be approved by the Steering Committee.
• Candidates with Ph.D. degrees alone are not eligible. Applications are accepted from candidates whose academic training has been interrupted prior to fellowship or who have pursued alternative career tracks and wish to re-enter academic training.
• Training should be pursued in a basic or translational research laboratory. In most instances, preference is given to candidates who train in laboratories outside clinical departments. Candidates who wish to train in epidemiology or statistics are advised to find mentors with primary appointments in schools of public health. There is a critical need for pediatric clinician scientists prepared to participate and eventually lead the emerging programs in clinical and translational research for children’s health care. The PSDP strongly supports candidates who wish to acquire rigorous training in these scientific disciplines (see Statement on Clinical and Translational Research Training for the PSDP).
• Applications are due on February 1st of the year preceding the start of the PSDP-sponsored fellowship (17 months prior to the start of the longitudinal protected continuous research time). Contact the Program Office (lisa.delizio@yale.edu) to obtain information about the appropriate timing of an application submission. Applications are available after eligibility has been verified. An Eligibility Form can be obtained from the Program Coordinator. Candidates whose applications are judged competitive for funding are interviewed by the PSDP Selection Committee in May at the annual meeting of the American Pediatric Society/Society for Pediatric Research. Candidates accepted into the PSDP are notified in June, approximately 13 months prior to the start of the program.

• The application form, which includes the name of applicant, Nominating and Sponsoring Chairs, residency information, and name(s) of proposed research mentor and laboratory site.
• Personal statement from applicant addressing the rationale for the clinical sub-specialty, choice of research area and career goals.
• A detailed research proposal, typically 8-10 pages in length, that should be prepared in conjunction with the PSDP mentor. Candidates proposing patient-oriented research or translational research that requires patient contact may request up to 10% clinical time in years one and two. This request must be incorporated as a part of the initial PSDP application and must have the signed approval of the mentor. The candidate must be explicit as to the populations to be seen, the way in which time is to be spent and will be expected to justify why the clinical time is essential to the performance of his/her research. PSDP Fellows who request clinical time after having begun the PSDP-sponsored research years will be denied.
• Letter from Nominating Chair acknowledging the commitment to help the candidate to identify a junior faculty position providing two years of support with 75% time for research.
• Letter from Sponsoring Chair at the site of the clinical fellowship, if different from nominating Chair. The letter from the sponsoring Chair must verify that there will be no clinical duties during first two years of fellowship and also acknowledge the commitment to help the candidate to identify a junior faculty position providing two years of support with 75% time for research.
• Letter of support and acceptance from proposed research mentor, which includes a description of laboratory, scope of research, educational curriculum for trainee (mentoring plan), other personnel to be involved in the training process and cites agreement with the policy of no clinical duties during first two years of fellowship. Approval must be acknowledged by the mentor if the candidate is proposing patient-oriented research or translational research that requires patient contact.
• Mentor's NIH grant application Biographic Sketch (three pages).
• Applicant's curriculum vitae listing publications, honors, and awards.
• Applicant's final medical school transcript.
• Letters of Reference. At least three letters of recommendation are required, not including letters from the nominating chair, sponsoring chair, and research mentor.

• location and quality of the proposed training laboratory
• quality of the research project
• anticipated quality of career guidance and mentoring by the sponsoring department and laboratory mentor
• applicant's understanding and appreciation of the relationship of the proposed research to clinical pediatrics
• applicant's commitment to a career in academic pediatrics and to scholarly and scientific endeavor
• applicant's intellectual curiosity, thoughtfulness, creativity and personal academic achievement

The Yale University School of Medicine is an equal opportunity educator and employer.
Last updated on Jan 21 2009  by the site editor.