Between grant applications, manuscript revisions, and managing a research team, working as a scientist can be demanding. On top of these commitments, many researchers are also caring for young children, aging parents, partners, or family members with health challenges. These competing demands can jeopardize years of progress, interrupting research during a narrow and consequential period for publishing, generating preliminary data, and competing for independent funding. The UAB Heersink School of Medicine Caregiving Affected Early-Career Research Scientists (CARES) Intramural Funding Program is helping early-career researchers stay on track by providing “extra hands.”
The 2025 Heersink CARES cohort includes Nicole Bentley, M.D., associate professor in the Department of Neurosurgery; Andrea Comba, Ph.D., assistant professor in the Department of Neuropathology; Donna Murdaugh, Ph.D., associate professor in the Department of Pediatrics, Division of Hematology and Oncology; and Olivia Van Gerwen, M.D., assistant professor in the Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases.
Nicole Bentley, M.D.“The CARES award provided integral funding for continuing my research program, without which I would have been unable to continue funding a postdoc, research assistant, or research scientist,” said Bentley. “This is an exceptional mechanism and was especially helpful for the one-year period following maternity leave, which I have found creates substantial and unique strains on research programs. Without this and similar awards, I think it would be much more difficult to fund ongoing research during this vulnerable time in one’s career.”
Built on the promising results of Doris Duke Foundation’s Fund to Retain Clinical Scientists (DDF), CARES at UAB began in 2021 as a response to caregiving demands imposed by COVID-19. Its primary goal was to offer support to early-career investigators whose research had been affected by caregiving responsibilities during the pandemic. The success of CARES at UAB laid the foundation for Heersink CARES, a Heersink School of Medicine legacy program that continues the extra-hands model for early-career faculty caregivers.
Andrea Comba, Ph.D.“CARES ‘extra hands’ award was instrumental in enabling continuity of experiments, accelerating data generation, and strengthening the competitiveness of multiple extramural funding applications,” said Comba. “CARES funding supported my Researcher II personnel, whose dedicated effort substantially expanded our research capacity and productivity.”
Recipients use CARES funding to add critical research capacity, including postdoctoral and research staff support, clinical research coordination, qualitative analysis, regulatory assistance, and data analyses for future grant applications. While over 40% of physicians leave academia within 10 years of being appointed assistant professor, the initial CARES at UAB program retained 93% of its awardees. As a result of the 28 awards distributed, these awardees have published over 200 manuscripts and secured 15 new NIH K-, R-, and U-series grants, according to the program’s official manuscript.
When CARES at UAB began, it received funding from various partners, including DDF, who was joined by the American Heart Association, the Burroughs Wellcome Fund, the John Templeton Foundation, the Rita Allen Foundation, and the Walden Foundation in supporting the Fund to Retain Clinician Scientists initiative. UAB entities, such as the schools of Medicine, Health Professions, Nursing, and Public Health, the Center for Clinical and Translational Science, and the Department of Pediatrics, also provided substantial funding to support this program and its 28 awardees.
Donna Murdaugh, Ph.D.“The CARES award provided essential infrastructure that bridged a critical gap in research support,” said Murdaugh. “The ‘extra hands’ not only ensured the successful continuation of ongoing studies but also enabled meaningful progress toward key scholarly deliverables, including publications and competitive grant submissions. This investment has had a sustained impact on my research trajectory, helping to preserve momentum and position my program for continued growth toward independent R01-level funding.”
Today, the Heersink CARES legacy program is fully funded by the Heersink School of Medicine and the Center for Clinical and Translational Science, collectively making a 5-year $1 million investment in the program.
Olivia Van Gerwen, M.D.“In addition to funds for analytical support, Heersink School of Medicine CARES award funds helped to support research and regulatory staff who assist me with my multiple sexual health studies,” said Van Gerwen. “Without these funds, it would have been challenging to adequately cover the time of these experienced and essential team members, so I am exceedingly grateful for the opportunity.”
This summer, the CARES program announced its 2026 cohort. The awardees include Christina Bankston, Ph.D., assistant professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurobiology; Kaylee Crockett, Ph.D., assistant professor in the Department of Family and Community Medicine; and Camilla Bell, Ph.D., assistant professor in the Department of Molecular & Cellular Pathology. These three researchers will be awarded up to $50,000 each to continue the program’s mission. Read more about the original CARES program by visiting their page.