The University of Kentucky Center for Appalachian Research in Environmental Sciences (UK-CARES) Career Development Program is coordinated in a partnership with the administrative core and led by Kevin Pearson, PhD. The mission of the career development program is to promote collaboration among basic, clinical, and population scientists; support early-stage investigators in developing diverse professional skills; and to attract mid-level investigators and scientists in other fields through opportunities to focus on environmentally-induced diseases. Dr. Pearson is also the director of UK's Inclusive Research Initiatives and co-director of UK's Research Scholars Program designed to ensure diversity and inclusion in research by promoting faculty success.

Goals

  • Promote career development of early-stage investigators.

  • Provide opportunities for mid-level investigators to focus on environmental health-related research.

  • Foster collaborations among investigators working in basic, clinical, and population science fields.

  • Develop scientific enrichment activities for all UK CARES investigators.

Call for Applications

Now open until May 10, 2024.

UK-CARES is accepting applications from full-time early-stage investigators (ESI) at the University of Kentucky (UK) for the career development program. If you would like to receive notifications of future calls for applications, please click here to join our mailing list.

Career development awards are limited to full-time faculty at the rank of assistant or associate professor (all title series are eligible including regular, research, clinical, and special) at UK, and is intended to support early-career investigators as they build their capacity to design and implement innovative studies in environmental health sciences that will lead to NIEHS pilot and extramural funding. Post-doctoral trainees are not eligible for this award.

The awards (up to $30,000 in total direct costs, plus 53 percent for facilities and administrative costs for up to nine months) will be made on a competitive basis to support activities designed to grow the faculty member’s EHS program of research. It is anticipated that funds will be available for one or two awards depending on the number of meritorious applications and needs of the specific project.

View the most recent Call for Applications

Click here for the PDF of the 2024 application.
Deadline to apply is no later than 5:00pm EST on May 10, 2024.

Current Awardee(s)

Cetewayo S. Rashid, PhD


Positions Held:
  • Assistant Professor, Regular Title
Stacy Stanifer

Stacy Stanifer, PhD


Positions Held:
  • Assistant Professor

Past


Leadership

Kevin J. Pearson, PhD


Positions Held:
  • Program Leader and Co-Director Research Scholars Program