VCBH Pre- and Postdoctoral Training
The VCBH offers a well-established, multi-faceted training program, supported by a a NIH/FDA TCORS grant, a NIGMS COBRE grant, and a T32 institutional training grant, recently renewed for years 31-36. The VCBH's T32 program has been continuously funded since 1990 (PI: Stephen Higgins, PhD) from the National Institute on Drug Abuse and is home to an excellent predoctoral and postdoctoral training program in substance abuse and health behavior research.
Trainees are typically experimental and clinical psychologists who receive individual mentoring by productive, NIH-supported independent scientists in substance abuse and related fields of behavioral economics and behavioral pharmacology. They attend seminars and courses related to their research career development along with training in grant writing. The vast majority (96%) of graduates in our training program obtain employment in research and scholarship and have been successful in establishing themselves as independent investigators. Indeed, the average age at receipt of the first R01 among our trainees over the 10-year period covering 2000-2010 was 34.6 years (33-37 yrs), which falls well below the 2015 NIH-average of 42.2 years for PhDs.
The VCBH training program currently supports seven predoctoral and seven postdoctoral fellowships:
Predoctoral Fellowships
Predoctoral fellows are full-time graduate students in the UVM Department of Psychological Science. The VCBH is fully integrated with this department with faculty holding joint appointments in the departments of psychiatry and psychological science. The training period is four to five years resulting in a PhD in general/experimental or clinical psychology. Applicants must have completed their undergraduate degree in psychology, behavior analysis, or a related discipline (residency restrictions may apply). Trainees are selected on the basis of scholastic record and commitment to a career in substance abuse research. Stipend, tuition, health care coverage, and travel funds are provided by NIH Institutional Training Awards and UVM.
Postdoctoral Associates
Postdoctoral associates conduct independent research under the mentorship of a VCBH faculty member at one or more of the sites that make up the VCBH (see Facilities & Resources). The training period is two to three years. Applicants must have completed doctoral training in psychology, behavior analysis, or a related discipline (residency restrictions may apply). Trainees are selected on the basis of scholastic record and commitment to a career in substance abuse research. Salary is based on NIH stipend levels and is commensurate with experience (PGY 1-7) and supported by NIH Institutional Training Awards.