NRSA for Primary Medical Care - Primary care is the foundation of an effective healthcare system, yet significant gaps remain in the workforce of investigators prepared to generate and translate evidence that improves primary care delivery, particularly for rural, underserved, and medically vulnerable populations. Concurrent shortages of primary care clinicians, growing chronic disease burden, behavioral health needs, and healthcare access challenges highlight the need for researchers equipped to develop, evaluate, and implement solutions in real-world primary care settings. At the same time, opportunities for postdoctoral training focused specifically on primary care research remain limited. To address this need, the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) proposes IMPACT-PC (Improving Primary Care through Training and Research), a two-year postdoctoral research training program designed to develop the next generation of independent primary care researchers. Building on UAB’s longstanding success in federally funded research training and its extensive expertise in health services research, implementation science, healthcare delivery, population health, and community-engaged research, IMPACT-PC will prepare fellows to conduct rigorous, practice-relevant research that improves access, quality, outcomes, and healthcare delivery. The program will recruit and train postdoctoral fellows (4 slots annually) from multidisciplinary backgrounds, including medicine, nursing, pharmacy, psychology, public health, epidemiology, sociology, and other health-related fields. Training will emphasize research addressing the needs of rural and underserved populations and will focus on key primary care priorities such as chronic disease prevention and management, behavioral health integration, healthcare access, implementation science, quality improvement, health disparities, and population health. The centerpiece of IMPACT-PC is mentored research. Fellows will lead primary care-relevant research projects under the guidance of interdisciplinary mentoring teams and participate in a structured curriculum that integrates research methods, implementation science, leadership development, career advancement, and grantsmanship. Major training components include the Friday Fellows seminar series, Primary Care Research Laboratories, Career Development Workshops, individualized coursework and certificate programs, and participation in institutional enrichment opportunities. Fellows will also receive structured support in scientific communication, manuscript development, grant writing, and career planning. Training will be enhanced through access to UAB’s extensive research infrastructure and collaborations with primary care clinics, practice-based research networks, Federally Qualified Health Centers, public health organizations, community partners, and healthcare systems throughout Alabama and the Deep South. These partnerships provide opportunities for fellows to conduct research in real-world settings and engage directly with patients, clinicians, communities, and healthcare organizations. The long-term goal of IMPACT-PC is to strengthen the national primary care research workforce by preparing independent investigators who generate, disseminate, and implement evidence that improves primary care delivery and health outcomes. Expected outcomes include successful completion of mentored research projects, peer-reviewed publications, national conference presentations, competitive grant submissions, and transition into independent research careers dedicated to improving primary care and population health.
