Welcome to the UIC IRACDA Program Heading link
The UIC IRACDA program is a 3 year mentored fellowship designed to provide rigorous and balanced team-based training in both teaching and research to a diverse group of postdoctoral scholars. The goal of UIC IRACDA is to build a culturally diverse group of scholars who, upon completing the program, are well equipped to be leaders in academia at research- and teaching-intensive institutions alike. The program is funded by the NIH/NIGMS K12 Institutional Research and Academic Career Development Award (IRACDA) mechanism, which was created to “develop a diverse group of highly trained scientists to address the nation’s biomedical research needs”.
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The IRACDA program is a partnership between UIC and Governors State University (GSU), the only public university in Chicago’s south suburban area. The IRACDA program unites faculty from the UIC Colleges of Pharmacy and Medicine in collaboration to support the research and career development of scholars, while Governors State University provides support for developing teaching skills at an undergraduate institution. The IRACDA program not only trains postdoctoral scholars, but also helps to solidify a pipeline for GSU students to join graduate or professional programs at UIC, fosters collaboration between GSU and UIC faculty to encourage new research programs, and develops a culture of educating a diverse community of scientists.
Our program’s specific objectives are to create a tailored training program for each scholar’s career goals that includes a research-intensive training experience, preparation in the core competencies required for excellence in teaching, and the development of critical career and cultural skills necessary to successfully transition to faculty positions at research- or teaching-focused institutions. A 4th year of support is included for scholars in need of additional training to meet these objectives.