Anesthesiology Innovative Research Residency (AIRR)

An Innovative Residency Track

Inaugurated with the incoming residents of July 2012 and rebranded in 2024, AIRR (formerly the Research Scholars program) is an extended residency track designed to produce investigators in anesthesiology who will go on to become leaders in their areas of expertise. This track is intended to rigorously prepare candidates for academic careers as independent clinician-scientists. Trainees will benefit from the wealth of research opportunities available on the UCSF campus while training clinically in one of the top-ranking anesthesiology residency programs in the country. 

Prior formal research training is not a pre-requisite for this track; rather, candidates must demonstrate aptitude, insight, productivity, and enthusiasm to engage in innovative and high-quality research, be it patient-oriented, translational, basic, or quantitative.

Program Structure and Benefits

In this track, scholars will complete a 1-month research elective (ReSPIRE) in their intern year. During CA-2 to CA-4 the scholar will have 24 months of 80% protected research time plus call. The scholar will schedule the research months to fit their needs.

During the research months, scholars will have the opportunity to complete coursework and present at the department’s research seminars and Anesthesia Research Day symposium. Scholars may also participate in other UCSF and UCSF-affiliated research programs including:

• Stimulating Access to Research in Residency (StARR) Program
• Fellows Advancement Skills Training in Clinical Research (FAST-CaR)
• Resident Research Training Program (RRTP)
• Center for Health Equity in Surgery and Anesthesia (CHESA) Fellows Program
• Chan Zuckerberg Biohub Physician–Scientist Fellowship Program

Each scholar will receive a $15,000 annual allowance (CA-1 through CA-4 years) for research training expenses, such as course fees, conference travel, and laboratory supplies. This funding may be applied to support completion of a Masters in Public Health or Global Health.

Upon successful completion of the Research Track, scholars may join the faculty as T32 Fellows with an 80% research commitment and no call responsibilities.

Research Topics and Mentors

Scholars may pursue research on diverse topics relevant to anesthesiology and the perioperative sciences, including: perioperative outcomes, critical care, immunology, neuroscience, pain, health services, data science, and health equity. Research mentors can be chosen from within the Department of Anesthesia or from other departments. Learn about potential research mentors and research groups. Scholars engaging in health equity research have additional access to mentorship through our Center for Health Equity in Surgery and Anesthesia.  

Outcomes

To date, the program has 11 alumni, many of whom are now academic faculty with research- intensive careers. Alumni of the program have been successful in receiving extramural research grants, including FAER Research Fellowship Grants and Mentored Research Training Grants; IARS Mentored Research Awards; and NIH K08, K23, R01, R03, and Loan Repayment Program Grants.

Learn More

Learn more about the UCSF Anesthesia Residency Program on the Education page.