R25 (UE5) Program BIDMC Neurology Training Program

The Neurology Departments at BIDMC and Boston Children’s Hospital participate in the National Institute of Neurological Disease and Stroke R25 (now called UE5) program. This program is designed to foster the careers of clinician-researchers, by enabling residents to take a six-month block of time for research during their residency and then providing up to two years funding to do research after residency. For residents eager to combine research with clinical care, this is a superb opportunity that substantially increases the likelihood of launching a successful academic career.

The UE5 program supports both basic laboratory and human-based hypothesis driven research. During the PGY2 year, the resident develops a research plan with a faculty mentor, and then each application is reviewed by additional senior faculty to provide early, substantive opportunities for improvement. Final applications are due in the Fall of PGY3, and awards are announced the following Spring. Successful UE5 residents then plan a block of six months research time during the first or second half of their PGY4 year. Trainees are also encouraged to take courses in neuroscience, statistics, public health, and clinical translational science at Harvard, depending on their career goals. Mentoring is a key part of this Program, and applicants are encouraged to put a mentoring team in place that exposes them to different views and environments and helps them develop their own research line. These can include NIH funded researchers from the broader HMS community and affiliated hospitals.

Our residents have been highly successful in obtaining R25 funding. Each year, residents from our adult and pediatric programs apply for these fellowships, and over 80% have been funded, a much higher success rate than the national average of about 50%. Specifically, in the last several years, 22 residents have applied from our programs, and 16 have been funded.

Past R25 fellows from our program have been successful in obtaining NIH Career Development (K) grants plus additional grants and are now thriving as faculty at Harvard and at other universities around the country. This program is pending renewal in 2026.

Recent BIDMC R25 Recipients