General Information

Selection of Participants. The Workshop Committee will accept and review applications from junior and mid-career faculty who have not yet been a PI on a NIH R01 but are eligible for NIH funding (either a research or career development award). The Committee will base its decisions in large part on the scientific quality and potential of the proposed protocol and on the letters from the applicant’s sponsor (Program Supervisor or Department Head). The letters will be scrutinized for the information they supply about the candidate, the assurances they provide about the candidate’s potential for success in research, and the sponsor’s (both mentor and institution) support for the candidate’s research career. The following are specific selection criteria:

• All aspects of rehabilitation research are eligible, adult and pediatric. (Note: Topics related to sports medicine and geriatric research [except among persons with disabilities] are excluded).
• Junior or mid-career faculty or senior trainees in a rehabilitation discipline at a U.S. or Canadian Academic Institution. In unusual circumstances, a senior individual who is embarking on a research career change will be considered.
• Nomination by a Department Chair, Division Head, or Program Director who can assure that the candidate will be able to prepare for the Workshop, participate fully during the Workshop, and, if successful, complete the research or research training as specified in the research proposal.
• Development of a research concept sheet according to specified guidelines. Accepted participants must agree to complete this preparatory work prior to the Workshop.
• Special consideration will be given to proposals that add a focus on mechanisms, demonstrate affiliations between successful NIH-funded research programs and traditional rehabilitation disciplines, show collaboration among basic and clinical researchers, attract new talented investigators into the field, encourage successful researchers to add a rehabilitation focus, apply new investigative technologies to rehabilitation, and/or show collaboration across disciplines.
• We encourage applications from women, minorities, and persons with disabilities. We will make every effort to accomodate individuals with special needs.

Registration Fee. Each participant will be charged a registration fee of $1,395. This fee covers hotel costs, all meals, training materials, and logistical support. Participants will be required to make a reservation with the workshop site but only incidental charges (e.g., phone calls, room service) will be incurred by the participant. Transportation costs and other incidentals are the responsibility of the participant. To ensure the most productive experience possible, family members or guests are strongly discouraged from attending. No arrangements will be made for family members.

Important notice: Because the costs for room and board are fixed and because the number of participants is limited, participants will be required to guarantee the hotel and meal reservation by paying the registration fee at the time of acceptance. If the participant cancels, he/she will forfeit their registration fee. There will be no exceptions regardless of the reason for the cancellation.

Workshop Materials. All faculty members will contribute material to the Workshop Syllabus to be distributed to each participant. For every lecture and small group discussion session, the Syllabus will contain the instructional objectives of the presentation, an outline of the topics to be covered, and a bibliography of relevant articles and texts.

Workshop Location. The Boar's Head Inn at the University of Virginia is a 171 room inn located on a 573 acre estate just west of the city of Charlottesville. In addition to well-appointed rooms and comfortable meeting space, the Inn has a full service fitness center. Common meals and recreational activities will be planned to promote interaction among participants. Participants and faculty will work hard, but there will be some special events planned to take advantage of historic Charlottesville and give participants a social break from the intense workshop.

Transportation. Access to Charlottesville by air is through the Charlottesville/Albemarle Regional Airport (CHO). Service is offered to and from Charlotte, Philadelphia, New York/LaGuardia, Washington/Dulles, Cincinnati, and Atlanta. It is served by Delta Connection, United Express (Atlantic Coast Airlines), and US Airways Express (Piedmont Airlines).