In Canada, there is a pressing need for Clinician-Scientists with knowledge and skill in the field of addiction medicine to lead development and implementation of evidence-based prevention and treatment modalities for substance use disorders. In response, the interdisciplinary International Collaborative Addiction Medicine Research Fellowship was created in 2013 to develop the skills required for a career in addiction research. The Fellowship is a US National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)-funded research training fellowship offered in partnership with the BC Centre on Substance Use, St. Paul’s Hospital, and the University of British Columbia.
OVERVIEW & ELIGIBILITY ADDICTION RESEARCH IMMERSION TRAINING APPLY CURRENT & PAST FELLOWS
OVERVIEW & ELIGIBILITY
The International Collaborative Addiction Medicine Research Fellowship trains Clinician-Scientists to develop the skills required for careers in addiction research. The program runs from July 1 to June 30 (one year).
Fellowship Overview
- The Fellowship provides $50,000 in funding for interdisciplinary health care providers who are involved in the care of patients with drug and/or alcohol use disorders.
- Four positions are available each year for competitive candidates.
- The training involves a flexible part-time (0.4 FTE) commitment allowing trainees to pursue independent activities, including clinical care.
Eligibility
The International Collaborative Addiction Medicine Research Fellowship accepts applications from interdisciplinary health care providers including physicians, nurses, nurse practitioners, and social workers who are involved in the care of patients with drug and/or alcohol use disorders.
We are committed to fostering an environment of diversity, equity and inclusion within our addiction research fellowship program, and applications are open to all individuals regardless of race, gender, ethnicity, disability, culture, or socioeconomic background. Please contact [email protected] for further information regarding our diversity initiatives.
Fellowship Curriculum
Upon admission into the Program, Fellows meet with Faculty Mentors to undertake planning in advance of the Research Fellowship commencing in July.
The overall structure of the half-day curriculum involves: addiction research immersion training, longitudinal research methods, scholarly activity, and career development.
- Didactic lectures that provide an introduction to research methods,
- Ethics teaching activities to prepare Fellows for navigating ethical challenges in addiction research,
- Monthly journal club meetings to critically review addiction medicine literature,
- Peer-review teaching, and
- Academic presentation skills development, which culminates in an opportunity to present at the annual BC Addiction Conference and Research Day at St. Paul’s Hospital.
- Developing first-author articles, including original research, systematic reviews, commentaries, and case reports, and
- Teaching academic seminars.
- Each trainee is paired up with two mentors: an addiction medicine clinician-scientist mentor and a PhD scientist mentor, and
- These mentors will supervise scholarly activity and provide guidance in career development.
ADDICTION RESEARCH IMMERSION TRAINING
Training opportunities are available in a variety of National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)-funded addiction research programs, including:
APPLY
Application Timeline for the 2024-2025 International Collaborative Addiction Medicine Research Fellowship:
- Two letters of reference
- A one-page letter of intent
- A curriculum vitae
- Research survey and informed consent form will be emailed to you once you have submitted your application.
Check back for next year's application timeline!
Application Details
Interested candidates must submit a copy of the following documentation:
This research training fellowship was funded by the US National Institute on Drug Abuse which asked us to evaluate how research training impacts upon research productivity of addiction medicine clinicians. At time of application, you are being asked to complete this online survey and agree to taking part in the study by clicking on the “Agree” button at the start of the survey. Thank you for considering completing this online survey and consent form with your application. While we would appreciate your participation in this research, it will have no bearing on your application for admittance into the program.
Please send an electronic copy of all application materials to the Fellowship Program Assistant, Raman Jawanda: [email protected]
Interviews
Interviews may be conducted with top candidates from each discipline shortly after the application deadline. Interviews may be in person, on the phone, or via Skype.
General Inquiries
For further information about this fellowship program, please contact us at [email protected].
*Please note that while the survey asks about year of graduation from medical school, this applies to non-physician applicants, too. The name of the fellowship program has been recently changed from Canada Addiction Medicine Research Fellowship to International Collaborative Addiction Medicine Research Fellowship.
PROGRAM LEADERSHIP
Dr. Nadia Fairbairn, Director, BCCSU International Collaborative Addiction Medicine Research Fellowship
CURRENT & PAST FELLOWS
View a list of current International Collaborative Addiction Medicine Research Fellows here.
Past International Collaborative Addiction Medicine Research Fellows are below.
2023-24
- LAUREN AIRTH
- DR. DAVID READING
- DR. JULIUS ELEFANTE
- DR. GABRIELA REED
2022-23
- KATE HODGSON
- DR. NEASA COLL
- DR. NIKKI BOZINOFF
- TAMARA MIHIC
2021-22
- DR. ANEES BAHJI
- DR. GABRIELLE RABU
- DR. VICTORIA WEAVER
2020-21
- KAYE ROBINSON
- DR. MIRIAM HARRIS
- DR. OLIVIA BROOKS
- TREVOR GOODYEAR
2019-20
- DR. ANDREA RYAN
- DR. LAURA MACKINNON
- DR. LINDSAY MACKAY
- DR. SUKHPREET KLAIRE
2018-19
- DR. PAXTON BACH
- DR. KATE COLIZZA
- DR. VALERIE GIANG
- DR. SARAH ICKOWICZ
2017-18
- DR. RUPINDER BRAR
- DR. SONIA HABIBIAN
- DR. PRABH LAIL
- DR. GERRIT PRINSLOO
2016-17
- DR. CHRISTOPHER (KIT) FAIRGRIEVE
- DR. NADIA FAIRBAIRN
- DR. DEREK CHANG
- DR. EUGENIA SOCIAS
- DR. SHARON VIPLER
2015-16
- DR. ALEXANDER CAUDARELLA
- DR. VERONIC CLAIR
- DR. NITASHA PURI
- DR. LAUNETTE RIEB
2014-15
- DR. KEITH AHAMAD
- DR. LESLIE RAE LAPPALAINEN
- DR. SEONAID NOLAN
- DR. DEVIN TUCKER
SUPPORTING ORGANIZATIONS
The US National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) is part of the US National Institutes of Health. NIDA’s mission is to bring the power of science to bear on drug abuse and addiction. To do this NIDA provides strategic support and conducts research across a broad range of disciplines, and ensures the rapid and effective dissemination and use of research results to significantly improve prevention and treatment and to inform policy. For more information about NIDA, please click here.
St. Paul’s Hospital at Providence Health Care is an acute care, academic, and research hospital located in downtown Vancouver. With over 500 acute care beds in use and home to many world-leading medical and surgical programs, the hospital serves both the local community and patients from across BC. Its downtown location brings many of Vancouver’s tourists and visitors to its doors. St. Paul’s also has a longstanding history of providing care to disadvantaged populations. For more information about St. Paul’s Hospital, please click here.
From its inception in 2007, members of the Division of AIDS at the University of British Columbia have been involved in various areas of research in the area of HIV treatment and prevention. The Division places considerable emphasis on treating and preventing HIV infection among intravenous drug users.
The BC Centre on Substance Use (BCCSU) is a provincially networked resource with a mandate to develop, implement, and evaluate evidence-based approaches to substance use and addiction. The BCCSU focuses on three strategic areas: research and evaluation, education and training, and clinical care guidance. With the support of the province of British Columbia, the BCCSU hosts the largest interdisciplinary addiction medicine training program in North America, building capacity in the healthcare system in BC to improve access to evidence-based care. Although physically located in Vancouver, the BCCSU is a provincially networked resource for researchers, educators, and care providers, as well as people who use substances, family advocates, support groups, and the recovery community. For more information about the BCCSU, please click here.
The University of British Columbia (UBC), established in 1908, is one of Canada’s leading research universities, consistently ranked among the top 40 in the world. The university attracts 54,000 students from across Canada and 140 countries around the world to two major campuses. For more information about UBC, please click here.
Vancouver Coastal Health is a regional health authority providing direct and contracted health services including primary, secondary, tertiary, and quaternary care; home and community care; mental health services; population and preventive health; and addictions services in part of Greater Vancouver and the Coast Garibaldi area. For more information, please click here.