K12 Rehabilitation Research Career Development Program

Program Overview

The Rehabilitation Research Career Development (RRCD) Program educates and trains future rehabilitation scientists, and the University of Florida is one of the three institutions that make up the research consortium.

photo of Dr. Mike Perri at the NMPT poster session

The University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB)The University of Southern California (USC), and The University of Florida (UF) have developed a Rehabilitation Research Career Development (RRCD) program in collaboration with a network of NCMRR Research Infrastructure Cores, VA Centers of Excellence, rehabilitation research institutes, and physical and occupational therapy departments nationwide.

The RRCD Program will recruit and train rehabilitation scientists who are occupational and physical therapists. Program activities will provide trainees with the skills necessary to become independent investigators and future leaders and mentors in rehabilitation. UTMB, USC, and UF will function as a consortium to provide an integrated research and educational infrastructure to assure the success of the proposed program. The RRCD program will take advantage of existing resources at UTMB, USC, and UF including K30 Clinical Research Curriculum Awards, General Clinical Research Centers, and Older American Independence (Pepper) Centers (P30). The career development opportunities associated with these centers and grants will be integrated into the RRCD program.

The RRCD program will provide up to three years of NIH support for physical and occupational therapists and is comprised of two phases: Phase 1 (Years 1-3) is designed to provide scholars with the foundation needed for a productive career in rehabilitation oriented research. A lead mentor will be chosen and an individualized career development plan will be developed based on the scholar’s past training and experience. The individualized plan will consist of:

  • A  structured didactic program focused on research methodology
  • Specialized courses and seminars
  • Mentored grant writing experiences

In Phase 1, scholars will commit 75-100% time to research career development activities. Phase 2 (Years 4-5), is the period of transition for RRCD scholars to move into independent researcher positions and will no longer be directly supported by K12 funding. Scholars will remain associated with the RRCD program and will continue to receive mentorship from the lead mentor, and research team. The RRCD program will take advantage of its extensive rehabilitation research network to negotiate faculty positions in research supportive environments.


Contact Info

Mailing Address
Division of Rehabilitation Sciences
RRCD Program
301 University Boulevard
Galveston, TX 77555-1137

Phone: (409) 747-1637
Fax: (409) 747-1638
Email: rehab.info@utmb.edu

University of Texas Medical Branch

  • Kenneth Ottenbacher, PhD, OTR, Professor and Director, Rehabilitation Sciences, 409-747-163, kottenba@utmb.edu
  • Beth Cammarn, Administrative Specialist, Program Coordinator, Rehabilitation Sciences, 409-747-1637, rehab.info@utmb.edu

University of Florida

  • Krista Vandenborne, Distinguished Professor, Chair and Co-Deputy Director, Department of Physical Therapy, 352-273-6085, kvandenb@phhp.ufl.edu
  • Laura Quintana, Coordinator, Academic Support Services, Program Coordinator, Department of Physical Therapy, 352-273-6106, lauraq@phhp.ufl.edu