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ACCP Report

2024 ACCP Foundation FIT and MeRIT Programs Provide a Productive Week of Investigator Development

Fourteen investigator-participants and mentors teamed up for 5 days of intensive investigator development at the University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Pharmacy, June 3–7. 

This marked the 9th offering of the ACCP Foundation Mentored Research Investigator Training (MeRIT) program and the 14th offering of the Focused Investigator Training (FIT) program. The 5-day primer session kicked off the 2024 individualized, 2-year longitudinal program, designed to mentor participants throughout the research process – from research idea and study design to IRB and funding application to data collection, results presentation, and manuscript submission. 

2024 MeRIT and FIT participants and mentors. 
Front Row: Natalie Gadbois-Mincks, Alice Hemenway, Megan Rech; Second Row: Angela Baalmann, Robbie Parker, Karen Farris; Third Row: Denise Rhoney, John Allen, Marissa Horrigan; Fourth Row: Jennifer Stanislaw, Rebecca Cope, Sean Avedissian; Back Row: Margie Snyder, Ryley Uber
 

The Foundation’s flagship program, FIT, delivers an unparalleled, intensive, hands-on grant refinement experience for pharmacist-investigators pursuing funding from the National Institutes of Health and other similarly competitive sources as principal investigators. 

Assisted by skilled and successful research mentors, the 2024 attendees concentrated on developing and revising their individual proposals throughout the week. Small-group sessions and individual worktime allowed mentees to focus on their individual projects and immediately address questions and the recommended revisions. The small-group sessions were complemented by tip-rich lectures and discussions, one-on-one mentor appointments, and continual revision and feedback on ideas and proposals. 

The 2024 MeRIT primer participants will present posters of their proposed research projects during the ACCP Annual Meeting in Phoenix, Arizona, October 12–15, 2024. Please stop by to learn about these projects, ask questions, and offer advice to these motivated researchers. 

Learn more about FIT or MeRIT by chatting with program participants or at any time on the Foundation website (www.accpfoundation.org/investigator). 

Watch for the summer 2025 FIT and MeRIT application materials on the ACCP Foundation website, and accelerate your growth as a clinical pharmacy researcher by submitting your letter of intent in February 2025 to attend one of the June 2025 programs. This approach to proposal development and investigator training with experienced and passionate mentors is unmatched by any other pharmacist training program. 

2024 Investigator-Participants: 

  • Angela Baalmann, Pharm.D., BCACP 
    Fred Wilson School of Pharmacy High Point University 

  • Rebecca Cope, Pharm.D., MPH, BCACP 
    The Arnold & Marie Schwartz College of Pharmacy & Health Sciences at Long Island University 

  • Natalie Gadbois-Mincks, Pharm.D., MPA, BCACP 
    Drake University College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences

  • Alice Hemenway, Pharm.D., MPH, BCIDP, BCPS 
    University of Illinois Chicago, College of Pharmacy

  • Marissa Horrigan, Pharm.D. 
    Children’s National Hospital

  • Megan A. Rech, Pharm.D., FCCP, BCPS 
    Edward Hines, Jr. VA Hospital

  • Jennifer Stanislaw, Pharm.D., BCACP 
    Oregon State University/Oregon Health and Sciences University College of Pharmacy

  • Ryley Uber, Pharm.D. 
    Geisinger Health System 

2024 Mentors: 

  • John Allen, Pharm.D., FCCP, FCCM, BCPS, BCCCP 
    University of Florida

  • Sean Avedissian, Pharm.D., M.Sc. 
    University of Nebraska Medical Center 

  • Karen Farris, BSPharm, MPA, Ph.D. 
    University of Michigan 

  • Robert Parker, Pharm.D., FCCP 
    University of Tennessee 

  • Denise H. Rhoney, Pharm.D., FCCP, FNCS, FCCM 
    University of North Carolina 

  • Margie E. Snyder, Pharm.D., MPH, FCCP 
    Purdue University