What is the CIP?

The University of Calgary’s Clinician Investigator Program (CIP) is a postgraduate medical training program for residents in any specialty or subspecialty who want to develop a strong foundation for a career in clinical research.  It provides a tailored combination of research, clinical and coursework experiences that provide the knowledge, attitudes and technical competence graduates need to be successful in clinical and translational research in their chosen field.  The CIP is recognized and accredited by the Royal College of Surgeons and Physicians of Canada (RCSPC).  

If you’re interested in taking your clinical research skills to the next level, then this program is for you!

The CIP is the only postgraduate medical program that allows residents to pursue a graduate research degree (MSc or PhD) whilst concurrently completing their residency specialty or subspecialty.  Furthermore, it provides an established framework of instruction specifically designed for aspiring clinician investigators.  

Your program experience will be tailored to compliment your area of study.  The CIP allows you to choose areas of study including traditional streams of laboratory and clinical research, and fields as diverse as health care economics, management, and social, behavioural and information sciences as they apply to health and disease.  

The University of Calgary is highly renowned in Canada and internationally for its world-class basic and clinical research facilities, collaborative, trans-disciplinary approach, and strong, successful translational research focus.  As a CIP resident, you will have access to a wealth of basic and clinical expertise, resources and infrastructure to help you develop and answer your clinical questions while forming strong collaborations with other clinician investigators and research experts.    

As a clinician investigator you will be able to seek answers to your clinical questions at the bench, and bring your findings right back to the clinic again, allowing you to have a much bigger impact on patient outcomes.  You will be highly competitive in grant competitions and be an influential voice in the research community. 

Your research must be related to your residency specialty or sub-specialty program, but you can potentially choose research projects from a large variety of PGME Residency Programs and Research Institutes.

You must be enrolled in a University of Calgary accredited specialty or sub-specialty Residency program (through PGME) and spend at least 80% of your time conducting research for a minimum of 2 years. CIP specific requirements including Seminars must also be completed.

You must complete all Graduate Studies program requirements including coursework, research proposal and thesis submission, and defence.  PhD candidates will also complete a candidacy exam. 

Once all program requirements have been fulfilled, you will receive a graduate degree (MSc or PhD) from the UofC and a Certificate of Completion from the RCPSC.