The ACCP Academy Research and Scholarship Development Certificate Program is an educational program aimed at developing basic clinical research and scholarly abilities. This program is an extension of the previous “Research Training Curriculum” developed by ACCP in the late 1990s. The program’s curriculum is not intended to serve as a substitute for more intensive education and training such as postdoctoral research fellowships or graduate degrees that are part of an institutional NIH Clinical and Translational Science Award.

The primary target audience for this program is residency-trained clinical pharmacists who practice in a setting where research and scholarly activity are expectations of their position. Although most of these clinical pharmacists will hold clinical faculty appointments with a school or college of pharmacy, individuals working in hospitals, community pharmacies, managed care organizations, or other settings may also be expected to be involved in research and scholarship.

With increased student enrollments and enhanced emphasis on experiential education, many schools and colleges of pharmacy are finding it difficult to identify appropriately educated and trained candidates for clinical faculty positions. With fewer clinical pharmacists completing postdoctoral research training, the development of research and/or publication skills is needed by many new clinical pharmacy educators. Because clinically trained pharmacists enter the Academy with a wide range of backgrounds and skills, the program commences with a required “primer” that allows participants to become familiar with key foundational concepts and essential information that will serve as a useful bridge to the curriculum’s required courses. The ACCP Research and Scholarship Development Certificate Program is an effort to help develop the research skills of clinical pharmacists and thus advance the profession of pharmacy.

The core mission of ACCP is to advance patient health and quality of life by helping clinical pharmacists expand the frontiers of their practice and research (Pharmacotherapy 2007;27:312–24). A goal of the ACCP Research Institute and ACCP is to advance clinical pharmacy and pharmacotherapy through support and promotion of research and research training. The ACCP Research and Scholarship Development Certificate Program is designed to contribute to this mission. Furthermore, the College believes that one of pharmacy’s societal responsibilities is to generate and disseminate new knowledge about pharmacotherapy. This responsibility includes the conduct of translational and clinical research and the transference of research results into practice-based applications.

The program integrates research theory with practical applications while involving the participant in scholarly work early in the curriculum. In validated adult learning theory, learning occurs within a logical, familiar context and builds on experience. Skills develop more quickly through critical thinking and problem solving when the learning parallels real-world experience. Attendees will be challenged to explore individual professional research and scholarly activity goals so that the experience will be as relevant as possible to their respective professional settings.

Each attendee will be required to identify a research or scholarly project to pursue across the academy curriculum. This may be an investigator-initiated study, working as a member of a collaborative research team and collaborating with an established clinical research unit (such as a clinical research center) or it may be a non-research scholarly project, such as authoring an analytical review article or case report. Research projects may be clinical, basic science, translational, or health services research, or they may be outcomes-based educational or behavioral science studies.

A certificate of completion will be awarded upon the completion of 28 contact hours: the Research Primer (6 hours), three required modules (3 × 4 hours), and five elective modules (5 × 2 hours). Attendees will also be required to complete designated online portfolio assignments. Portfolio assignments must be completed within 90 days of participating in a course. Progress toward certificate completion for each attendee will be tracked by ACCP. All programming will be live and offered in association with the ACCP Spring Practice and Research Forum and the ACCP Annual Meeting. The curriculum is designed to allow participants to complete the certificate requirements in 2 years if they attend both the ACCP Spring Forum and Annual Meetings for 2 consecutive years or in 3 years by attending only one or two meetings annually.

One-on-one mentoring is among the most effective strategies to develop the knowledge, skills, attitudes, and values of a researcher-scholar. The value of such mentoring is optimized when the mentor can provide regular feedback regarding an individual's performance. Therefore, each participant in the Research and Scholarship Development Certificate Program will be asked to identify a researcher-scholar mentor (preferably from his or her institution, if possible) with whom he or she will meet throughout his/her enrollment in the academy program. The mentor is expected to assist each participant in achieving program outcomes. It is anticipated that mentors will meet regularly with their protégés and provide opportunities for the protégé to observe and (if feasible) participate in the mentor's research and scholarly activity. When necessary, program faculty will assist participants in identifying an appropriate mentor.

(Titles available from the ACCP Bookstore at www.accp.com/bookstore/researchAndOutcomeAssessments.aspx)

• Designing Clinical Research, 3rd ed. 2007. Stephen B. Hulley, et al. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. Member price $64.50
• Primer of Biostatistics, 6th ed. 2005. Stanton A. Glantz. McGraw-Hill. Member Price $44.95
• Grant Application Writer’s Handbook, 4th ed. 2005. Liane Reif-Lehrer. Jones and Bartlett. Member Price $49.50

Prerequisite Module: Research Primer
This module is designed to provide participants with an introduction to fundamental research concepts. Participants will explore the various roles, responsibilities, and venues in which a new researcher may develop a research focus and explore potential working relationships with established researchers. The module will discuss mentor protégé interaction and ways in which to maximize the benefits of such a relationship throughout a career. This 6-hour module is a mandatory prerequisite for the program's remaining required modules; the primer must be taken first to receive credit for any subsequent required module. An introductory workshop on developing a research question, designed to stimulate the development of a longitudinal research project idea by each participant, will be conducted as part of the primer. Program enrollees will be asked to revisit, build on, and revise this project idea throughout the academy program.

Required Module 1: Clinical Research Basics
This module builds on the foundational concepts presented in the Research Primer. Through a series of directed readings from peer-reviewed journals, attendees will be introduced to general principles and issues in clinical research design. In this session, attendees will classify studies, discuss relative advantages and disadvantages of study designs, and dissect the research proposal into its basic components. Participants will be provided with strategies to locate intramural and extramural sources of funding. In addition, faculty will offer practical advice for the novice researcher. As much as possible, attendees will be asked to refer to their own project ideas as a platform for discussion and exploration.

Required Module 2: Statistical Issues
Attendees will develop competencies in research question development and analysis. This will be accomplished through attendees gaining a key understanding of research methods relevant to their particular area of research. The course will link theory with practice, which will continuously motivate attendees. Attendees will be given time to work in teams to approach common statistical questions in clinical research using reputable journal articles. Participants will be encouraged to work on their individual project hypothesis testing during the group discussions.

Required Module 3: Regulatory/Ethical Issues
This course addresses operational and ethical issues associated with developing and directing clinical research. Perspectives on human subject protection, together with current concepts/perspectives related to informed consent, HIPAA, IRBs, and cultural competency will be provided. Case studies focusing on ethical, legal, and social issues will be integrated into the session. Budget management, quality control processes, and appropriate data management to ensure data integrity will be discussed. Author responsibilities, management of misconduct allegations, and navigation of the IRB will also be addressed.

Elective Modules
Each elective module consists of 2 contact hours of instruction embedded in the ACCP Spring and Annual Meetings. Designed to meet the widely varied needs of program participants, these electives will focus on specific areas of research and scholarship not covered in depth by the required modules. Some electives will focus on a contemporary research approach or research text. Other electives will address the needs of specific research or scholarly activity processes/skills (e.g., the clinical scientist, the research coordinator; scientific writing, manuscript preparation).

Modules are presented by faculty-scholars who are recognized leaders in clinical research, biostatistical analysis, and responsible conduct of research.

ACCP Academy
Research and Scholarship Development Certificate Program
2008–2011 Curricular Schedules

1. The Research Primer will be offered every spring on the day immediately before the beginning of the ACCP Spring Practice and Research Forum. During the first year of program initiation, the Primer will also be offered on the day before the ACCP Annual Meeting.
2. One or two required 4-hour modules will be offered every spring and fall. If two modules are offered and the Research Primer is not offered, one module will be embedded in regular meeting programming, with the other offered as a premeeting session. When the Research Primer is offered, the required module will be embedded within regular meeting programming.
3. Elective modules (each 2–4 hours) will be offered every spring and fall, embedded in regular meeting programming.

To enroll in the ACCP Academy Research and Scholarship Development Certificate Program, download and complete an online application form. Expenses for ACCP Academy certificate programs have been established with today's institutional budgets in mind. Modules within an ACCP Spring or Fall Meeting schedule are available free of charge (other than the normal meeting registration fees). Workshops offered on the day before ACCP meetings require an additional premeeting symposium fee. To cover the cost of electronic portfolio maintenance, there is a one-time $100 portfolio fee, which is due upon submission of the program application form.

Questions? Visit the ACCP Academy FAQs web page or contact Wendi Sirna.

To download the research and scholarship development application, click here.