Boston University Clinical HIV/AIDS Research Training Program
About the Program
The BU-CHART Program at Boston Medical Center is a two-year mentored post-doctoral research training program designed for physicians and other health scientists to enable them to conduct high-quality, ethical HIV/AIDS research focused on populations that have historically endured inadequate access to care. BU-CHART will provide specific training in research methods of relevance to study co-morbidities, adherence, substance abuse and transmission of HIV infection. The T32 grant provides stipend, tuition, fees for coursework, travel funds, and health insurance.
Three post-doctoral trainees each year will enter a structured program that includes an introductory series of didactic lectures in HIV/AIDS, classroom work or a mentored thesis leading to a MSc, ethics coursework and mentoring and a series of Clinical Research seminars as part of the Boston University CREST Program. Each trainee will have a mentoring team comprised of a Senior Mentor and a Project-specific Mentor.
The candidate’s research will focus on one of three specific subject areas where BU has particular strength: Opportunistic Diseases, Adherence and Natural History, Substance Use and Transmission. The primary goal of BU-CHART is to enable trainees to become independent investigators in HIV/AIDS research and expertise in research in disadvantaged populations.
Since its inception almost 20 years ago, the BU-CHART program has enjoyed substantial accomplishments and we have implemented upgrades to enhance the overall program. These improvements have reinforced our infrastructure and improved our ability to train a diverse group of fellows by providing rigorous training in research methods and content, provide close supervision of trainees by mentors, and helped trainees transition to junior faculty and other positions directly related to research in HIV/AIDS. The BU-CHART program has had 25 graduates. Of those graduates, 45% of them have received K awards.
Candidates must have completed or be on schedule to complete a doctoral program, MD, PhD, or DSc and be citizens of the United States or permanent residents.
