Education and Training
Autism Research Postdoctoral Training Program
Interdisciplinary Training for Autism Researchers
The UC Davis MIND Institute offers a postdoctoral training program to prepare Ph.D. and M.D. fellows for careers in autism research. The goal of this program is to train truly interdisciplinary autism research scientists. The MIND Institute and UC Davis provide a unique environment for conducting postdoctoral research on multiple aspects of autism.
This two-year training program merges the behavioral and biological sciences in the context of an interdisciplinary, autism-focused research program. The training program is organized around a set of core competencies that involves multiple areas of autism-related knowledge ranging from human genetics, to neuroanatomy, to clinical diagnosis. Trainees will be expected to further their own disciplinary competence, gain new competence in other disciplines germane to autism research, and gain experience in four general areas important for establishing a successful career: research ethics, research design and analysis, cultural competence and career development.
Competencies will be acquired through: individual mentorship, research in ongoing interdisciplinary projects, the didactic core curriculum, and conferences, lecture series and other training opportunities. Each trainee will have a primary mentor, the faculty member with whom they directly carry out their research program, as well as a secondary mentor, who will provide a different disciplinary orientation. In cooperation with these mentors, each trainee will develop an individualized training plan and carry out autism-related research. This training program is administered under Kirschstein-NRSA guidelines.
Applicants are required to have one ARTP faculty member who has agreed to mentor them during this two-year program. See list of potential mentors.
Applications for the ARTP program will be accepted until positions are filled. The next application review deadline is Feb. 1, 2024.
Important Dates:
Start Date: Sept. 1, 2024
For additional information, please contact Erika Bickel at esbickel@ucdavis.edu.
Appropriate candidates
Appropriate applicants are planning an autism research career and have either (1) a doctorate in biomedical or behavioral science, or (2) an M.D. Individuals from historically under-represented groups are particularly encouraged to apply. The two-year, postdoctoral fellowships’ stipend levels follow NIH guidelines. Please note that applicants must have completed all work for their doctoral degrees before entering the training program.