Thirteen investigator-participants and mentors teamed up for 5 days of intensive investigator development at the University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Pharmacy, June 12–16.

This marked the 8th offering of the ACCP Foundation Mentored Research Investigator Training (MeRIT) Program and the 13th offering of the Focused Investigator Training (FIT) Program. The 5-day primer session kicked off the 2023 individualized, 2-year longitudinal program, designed to mentor participants throughout the research process – from research idea and study design to IRB and funding application to data collection, results presentation, and manuscript submission.

2023 MeRIT and FIT participants and mentors.

The Foundation’s flagship program, FIT, delivers an unparalleled, intensive, hands-on grant refinement experience for pharmacist-investigators pursuing funding from the National Institutes of Health and other similarly competitive sources as principal investigators.

Assisted by skilled and successful research mentors, the 2023 attendees concentrated on developing and revising their individual proposals throughout the week. Small-group sessions and individual worktime allowed mentees to focus on their individual projects and immediately address questions and the recommended revisions. The small-group sessions were complemented by tip-rich lectures and discussions, one-on-one mentor and biostatistician appointments, and continual revision and feedback on ideas and proposals.

The 2023 MeRIT primer participants will present posters of their proposed research projects during the ACCP Annual Meeting in Dallas, Texas, November 11–14, 2023. Please stop by to learn about these projects, ask questions, and offer advice to these motivated researchers.

Learn more about FIT or MeRIT by chatting with program participants or at any time on the Foundation website (www.accpfoundation.org/investigator).

Watch for the summer 2024 FIT and MeRIT Program application materials on the ACCP Foundation website, and accelerate your growth as a clinical pharmacy researcher by submitting your letter of intent in February 2024 to attend one of the June 2024 programs. This approach to proposal development and investigator training with experienced and passionate mentors is unmatched by any other pharmacist training program.

2023 Investigator-Participants:

• Lorinda Wells Anderson, Pharm.D.
  Oregon State University
• Jaclyn Cusumano, Pharm.D.
  Long Island University
• Sophia Herbert, Pharm.D.
  University of Pittsburgh
• Tomona Iso, Pharm.D.
  Loma Linda University
• Herman Johannesmeyer, Pharm.D., BCPS
  University of California – Irvine
• Jesse Rungkitwattanakul, Pharm.D.
  Howard University
• Victoria Williams, Pharm.D., BCCCP
  The Ohio State University

2023 Mentors:

• Sean Avedissian, Pharm.D.
  University of Nebraska Medical Center
• Charles E. Leonard, Pharm.D., MSCE, FISPE
  University of Pennsylvania
• Robert Parker, Pharm.D., FCCP
  University of Tennessee
• Denise H. Rhoney, Pharm.D., FCCP
  University of North Carolina
• Warren Rose, Pharm.D., MPH
  University of Wisconsin
• Margie E. Snyder, Pharm.D., MPH
  Purdue University