Advanced Research Institute (ARI): Supporting the Geriatric Mental Health Research Pipeline

Area of Science:

• Mental Health Research
• Aging Research
• Faculty Development

Background:

• The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)-funded Advanced Research Institute (ARI) mentoring network supports early-career faculty.
• Since 2004, ARI has mentored 184 scholars from diverse institutions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the ARI program components.
• To assess the impact and outcomes of ARI on participants' research careers.

Main Methods:

• Outcomes for 165 ARI graduates were tracked using NIH Reporter, surveys, and CVs.
• A population-based analysis compared NIMH mentored K awardees (2002-2018), including ARI participants and non-participants.

Main Results:

• 87.3% of ARI graduates remained active researchers, 83.6% performed scientific service, and 80.6% obtained federal grants.
• ARI participants were 3.2 times more likely to obtain R01 funding compared to non-participants (77.1% vs. 49.5%).

Conclusions:

• The ARI model effectively transitions early-career faculty into independent investigators.
• ARI's success in fostering research careers may offer a valuable model for other scientific fields facing attrition challenges.