Developmental Core

UMass Chan CFAR Developmental Core

The UMass Chan CFAR Developmental Core is directed by Paul Clapham, Ph.D. and Stuart Levitz, M.D., with the mission to expand HIV research at the UMass Chan Medical School by:

• Facilitating the  development of innovative research projects;
• Mentoring and supporting junior faculty and postdoctoral scholars;
• Enticing new faculty into projects that represent priority research areas in HIV/AIDS;
• Helping to recruit and build an interactive community of HIV/AIDS researchers that bridges basic and clinical research; and
• Training undergraduate students for careers that include HIV research.
  
  To accomplish its mission, the Developmental Core engages in the following activities:
  1) Developmental grant support for novel and innovative HIV/AIDS research;
  2) Mentoring of junior HIV/AIDS scientists;
  3) Identification and recruitment of established investigators to strengthen the institution’s collaborative HIV/AIDS research program;
  4) Placing promising undergraduate students in summer internships with established CFAR researchers.
  
  In recent years, the UMass CFAR Developmental Core has provided 5-8 pilot grants annually, to a broad spectrum of junior and senior faculty. These awards have provided pivotal funds allowing the investigators to obtain the necessary preliminary data for the successful acquisition of NIH R01 and P01 grants.
  
  The UMass CFAR offers a structured mentoring program for junior faculty with established HIV research faculty mentors. Through its postdoctoral researcher journal club, the CFAR also promotes the success of postdoctoral fellows in CFAR labs.
  
  The UMass CFAR has partnered with the NIH-sponsored Summer Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program to specifically attract students who are under-represented in biomedical research.