TRIO Receives R25 Grant To Cultivate The Next Generation Of Otolaryngologist–Scientists

by Renée Bacher •

The Triological Society (TRIO) has been awarded an R25 grant from the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD) to establish the Neely National Clinician–Scientist Mentorship Network. This program aims to cultivate the next generation of otolaryngologist–scientists through comprehensive mentorship, training, and networking opportunities. It will be the first national mentorship network for otolaryngologist–scientists.

“This network will allow those faculty who want to do research to add an extra dimension to their career,” said Jay F. Piccirillo, MD, professor of otolaryngology at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, and co-principal investigator on the grant. “It’s a privilege to take care of people, but conducting research to identify new facts we didn’t know before and teach medical students and residents—that’s a real privilege too.”

The $206,730 grant will support a nationwide infrastructure to connect early-career otolaryngologists interested in research careers with established NIH-funded mentors. By combining multiple virtual and in-person meetings, the program seeks to break down barriers and provide guidance to aspiring clinician-scientists, which will be particularly useful for those at institutions with limited research resources.

Otolaryngology has historically had a relatively small cohort of physician-scientists compared to some other specialties due to the length of surgical training, limited exposure to research methodology, and lack of mentors at many institutions. “Few otolaryngologists have been successful as surgeon–scientists—that was the need for the R25 mentoring grant,” Dr. Piccirillo said. The program intends to expand and diversify the pool of otolaryngologist–researchers by providing structured support and guidance. The network will target two groups: early-stage investigators who have not yet submitted their first NIH grant as principal investigator, including residents, fellows, and new faculty, and mid-career researchers with introductory NIH funding (typically K08 or K23 grants) who are working to transition to independent R01 funding.

At the heart of the program is a large cadre of successful NIH-funded otolaryngologist–scientists who have volunteered to serve as mentors. “We have a large collection of otolaryngologist–scientists from TRIO who are mentors in the Neely network and available for mentees that need advice,” said Shawn D. Newlands, MD, PhD, MBA, chair of otolaryngology at the University of Rochester Medicine in Rochester, N.Y., and co-principal investigator.

By nurturing the next generation of researcher–clinicians, the Society hopes to see more otolaryngologists complete the research thesis required for membership, strengthening the academic foundation of the specialty as a whole.” — Bradley J. Goldstein, MD, PhD