University of California San Francisco

Policy of Resident Funding in Research

The following are polices for UCSF Surgery Residents in Research and Educational Training Programs.

Policy on Directing (Selection of Training Programs)

The Research Committee in the Department of Surgery advises UCSF residents on selection of their
training programs (i.e. research training or participation in other educational programs). Normally, this
training is for 2 years after completion of the R3 year (for General Surgery) and 1 year (for Plastic Surgery). The following guidelines concern selection of the
training programs.

  1. Residents will be advised to select a training program that provides them with the best experience for their career path. Suitable programs include laboratory based basic research, clinical research and study for higher degrees or qualifications.
  2. Training may take place with the Department of Surgery at UCSF, outside the Department in other laboratories or centers at UCSF, or at other universities or research institutions.
  3. All residents are required to submit grants to support their training. If unsuccessful, the Department will work with residents and their faculty mentors and advisors to identify other funds that they may have at their disposal to support all or part of the residents’ salaries. Due to the limited amount of Departmental funds available for this purpose, resident research positions that cannot be supported by the mentor or non-departmental sources may not be deemed viable for appointment. If residents elect to train outside UCSF, the Department of Surgery will not contribute to their salary.
  4. The Chair’s cabinet and the Research Committee of the Department of Surgery will review and approve the resident’s selection of training programs.

Policy on Funding

This policy concerns funding of UCSF surgery residents' salaries and benefits during their participation in training programs (i.e. research training or participation in other educational programs). Normally, this training is for 2 years after completion of R3 year (for General Surgery) and 1 year (for Plastic Surgery). The Research Committee of the Department of Surgery oversees this training.

  1. All residents are required to write and submit grants to extramural funding agencies to cover their salaries and expenses.
  • Grants must be submitted before the resident enters the training program. Many of these grants have deadlines in the fall preceding the year of entry to the program. Therefore, it is essential that residents select the training program at least one year before entry.
  • If the first application is unsuccessful, residents must submit an application to fund the second year of their training.
  • All grants must be submitted through the Department of Surgery Office of Grants and Contracts.
  • It is the joint responsibility of the resident and his/her mentor to write the grant.
  • If grant funding is obtained, but it is below the PGY3 funding level, the resident’s mentor may be required to supplement the salary or stipend up to the PGY3 level.

2. In the event that grant applications are unsuccessful, the Department of Surgery will fund a limited number of residents during the training programs, subject to the following conditions.

  • The Department of Surgery will provide funding, depending on availability, for UCSF residents who remain at UCSF for their training. The resident’s mentor may be required to provide supplemental funding up to the PGY3 level.
  • The Department of Surgery will only consider funding one UCSF resident per research group. Laboratory mentors will be required to fund any additional residents and will be expected to partially or fully fund their single UCSF resident if other funds are not identified to guarantee their salary at the PGY3 level.
  • The priority for departmental funding will be for residents training in laboratories of junior investigators within the Department of Surgery.
  • For those positions funded by the Department of Surgery, such funding will be guaranteed for only one year. Funding for an additional year will be on a competitive basis. If departmental funds are insufficient to provide support for the second year in the lab, the resident will be responsible for obtaining their own funding, or the laboratory mentor’s lab will be required to provide funding or to supplement available salary or stipend funding up to the PGY3 level.
  • Residents who spend more than the standard time in research (more than 2 years for GS; more than 1 year for Plastics) in a UCSF based training program will not be funded by the Department and will be expected to fully fund their own salary at the PGY3 level.

Revised 12/2/2016