TADA Fellowship Program

Eligibility for a TADA Fellowship is open to Emory doctoral students who…

• are enrolled – in good standing – in one of the following programs:
  • RSPH: Behavioral, Social, and Health Education Sciences
  • RSPH: Health Policy and Management
  • RSPH: Global Health
  • RSPH: Epidemiology (Social)
  • Psychology
  • Sociology (Health)
  • Economics (Health)
  • Anthropology (Health)
• have passed comprehensive exams, or plan to complete in the near future.
• have an outstanding record of academic accomplishment, and an established history of engagement in research and interventions into SUDs or related harms (e.g., overdose, HIV, HCV).
• are committed to a research career applying advanced data analysis methods to study and intervene in SUD-related harms.
• are in-residence during the first year of fellowship.
• and are a US Citizen or Permanent US Resident.

How are TADA Fellowships funded?

• TADA is funded by a training grant (T32DA0505552; PI: Cooper and Waller) from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) for the purpose of developing the careers of promising junior researchers.
• TADA is also funded by Spark @ Emory, the Rollins Program in Substance Use Disorders.

Students accepted into the TADA Fellowship Program are required to participate in all TADA training activities, including:

1. Required Courses (Click here for details on all TADA Courses)

2. Individual Development Plan (IDP)

• TADA Fellows are required to set academic and professional goals for his/her fellowship training.
• IDP is part of the fellow’s professional responsibility to chart goals and success in the TADA program and assist with ensuring timely progress.
• You will receive a TADA-Specific template for the IDP
• Within 2 months of starting the TADA fellowship,  the TADA fellow should:
  • Complete a first draft of the IDP
  • Meet and discuss the IDP with TADA mentors. Schedule one meeting with both TADA mentors and directors present.
  • Revise the IDP as necessary after meeting with mentor(s). 
• Sign and submit the completed IDP to  TADA program manager within 3 months of starting the TADA fellowship
• IDPs are reviewed by the Program Directors every 6 months thereafter – beginning of academic year and at mid-year (Jan/Feb)
  • Funds expenditure/balance also discussed at 6-month review

3. Mentoring

• TADA co-directors will match each trainee with 2 TADA-Certified mentors:
  
  • One with substantive expertise in SBS approaches to studying or intervening in SUD-Related harms,
  • the other with expertise in an advanced data science methods.
• TADA training in Menteeship
  

4. Regularly scheduled meetings to advance scholarship & professional development

• Bi-weekly dissertation and professional development workshops
• Journal clubs (3-4 per semester)
• Annual research symposium
• Bi-annual distinguished visitor lecture

  5. Dissertation Submission

• At least One Aim must focus on big data science + One (or same) Aim on a drug-related outcome.

6. Mentored Research

• In addition to coursework, for four semesters, all students will serve as Graduate Research Assistants (GRAs) with a faculty mentor to gain hands-on SBS research experience.
• Summer Research Rotation at a public health agency

7. Trainee Funds

Each funded trainee has access to:

• up to $3,000/year to support dissertation-related research and training expenses.
• $1,000/year in travel funds.    
• $3,000/year in reimbursement for eligible childcare costs. 

*Within each track students will be required to earn a grade B or above in two advanced, graduate-level courses in that method (minimum of 2 credits each), dedicate at least 75% of their Emory-based research rotations to that track and dedicate a summer rotation to that track.