Advance your faculty career in infectious diseases with grant writing training and mentorship from world-renowned researchers! 

Apply now to the UC San Diego Raising Advancement and Parity for Infectious Disease Researchers (RAPID) program, a free research training and mentoring program sponsored by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID). RAPID includes in-depth training in grant writing to enhance faculty career and funding success.

Participation in this program requires a one-year commitment with the following tentative timeline* (with all travel expenses paid):

• Active participation in the Grant Writing Course: The course will tentatively start remotely in June 2026, prior to the Summer Institute I, with weekly assignments due in June-July 2026
• Attendance at the Summer Institute I held on July 26-31, 2026 (in-person in La Jolla, CA or online –modality TBD)
• Attendance at the Mid-year Meeting in January 2027 (remote)
• Attendance at the Summer Institute II in July 2027 (in-person in La Jolla, CA or online –modality TBD)

*Please note that program structure and timeline are subject to change. The program will be held either in-person or online; no hybrid option will be provided. 

Participants will choose one of three research tracks to be mentored and trained:

1. Host-pathogen interactions
2. Virology research
3. Global health & neglected infectious diseases

The programs are designed for early career junior faculty and postdoctoral scholars transitioning to a faculty position who have scientific expertise in infectious diseases. The program is open to junior faculty nationwide. Please note that eligible candidates must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents. Additional eligibility requirements can be seen on the RAPID website. 

Apply here: https://go.ucsd.edu/42xFzRh

Application deadline: Sunday, March 1, 2026

RAPID will employ evidence-based strategies to enhance professional development and effective mentorship of participants by: 

• Developing a Faculty Research and Career Advancement Plan (RCAP) to help mentees identify short- and long-term research and career goals

• Engaging participant mentees in effective mentorship with a mentoring team consisting of a UC San Diego research faculty mentor, a UC San Diego career faculty mentor, and a mentor from the participant’s home institution

• Improving participant mentees’ knowledge and skills in areas important for research success in infectious diseases

RAPID will enhance self-efficacy in research knowledge, skills, and strategies to successfully obtain NIH or equivalent grant funding by:

• Immersing participants in effective strategies to develop research program plans

• Facilitating the development of skills in writing effective grant proposals and manuscripts
• Providing important tips on navigating pathways for academic advancement as well as submission and review of grants

Below are two testimonials from the RAPID participants:  

• “Participating in the program was a genuine inflection point in my career. The intensive Summer Institutes and the mock study section forced me to turn half-formed ideas into a polished R-series proposal under realworld time pressure.”
• “RAPID didn’t just teach me how to write a better grant—it rewired how I think about strategic planning, mentorship, and networking, accelerating my transition from early-career investigator to independent PI.”