ABMS Scholars Program: ABPath Research Opportunity

The American Board of Pathology (ABPath) has developed a competency-based assessment tool designed to evaluate pathology resident performance across the full spectrum of hospital-based autopsy-related tasks. This tool assesses progressive competency in domains including procedural skills, clinical judgment, communication, and professionalism across defined training milestones (e.g., approximately 5th, 15th, and 30th autopsies). ABPath will provide the assessment tool and relevant background materials to support protocol development.

ABPath seeks proposals from qualified individuals to conduct a study evaluating:

• The feasibility of implementing this tool in training programs
  
  
• The efficacy of the tool in detecting the progression of competency over time

The selected investigator will:

1. Assess Feasibility
   
   
   • Evaluate ease of implementation in real-world residency programs
     
     
   • Assess faculty usability, time burden, and compliance
     
     
   • Identify barriers and facilitators to adoption
     
     
2. Evaluate Efficacy
   
   
   • Determine whether competency scores increase with resident experience
     
     
   • Quantify the magnitude and trajectory of skill acquisition
     
     
   • Evaluate whether the tool discriminates between levels of training
     
     
3. Provide Recommendations
   
   
   • Suggest refinements to the assessment tool
     
     
   • Recommend optimal implementation strategies
     
     
   • Identify potential uses in programmatic assessment and certification
     
     

The investigator will:

• Design a multi-institutional or single-institution study (as feasible) to be completed within 1-2 years.
  
  
• Develop a data collection framework aligned with the tool’s scoring rubric (1–5 scale with defined supervision levels)
  
  
• Collect and analyze data across multiple resident training levels (i.e., a cross-sectional study)
  
  
• Apply appropriate statistical methods, which may include:
  
  
  • Longitudinal analysis of competency progression
    
    
  • Mixed-effects modeling or repeated measures analysis
    
    
  • Reliability testing (e.g., inter-rater agreement, Cronbach’s alpha)
    
    
• Conduct qualitative assessment (e.g., surveys or interviews) of faculty and residents
  
  

The selected applicant will provide:

1. Study Protocol (including IRB approval/exception)
   
   
2. Interim Progress Report(s)
   
   
3. Final Report, including:
   
   
   • Feasibility findings
     
     
   • Quantitative and qualitative results
     
     
   • Statistical analysis of competency progression
     
     
   • Recommendations for tool refinement
     
     
4. Poster/Oral Presentation
   
   
5. Manuscript Draft suitable for academic presentation and peer-reviewed publication
   
   

Competitive applicants will demonstrate one or more of the following:

• Expertise in anatomic pathology/autopsy pathology, medical education research, assessment, or competency-based evaluation
  
  
• Experience with quantitative and/or mixed-methods research design
  
  
• Familiarity with graduate medical education (GME) and anatomic pathology training requirements.
  
  
• Demonstrated ability to produce peer-reviewed scholarly work
  
  

To be eligible, applicants must also meet the criteria of the ABMS Scholars Program. Eligible applicants include:

• Early-career physicians and junior faculty with an interest in autopsy and graduate medical education
  
  
• Fellows, particularly Forensic Pathology fellows or those with a strong interest in autopsy, are encouraged to apply
  
  

Note: Student visas are not available. All applicants are evaluated on their alignment with the ABMS REF research priorities and the research priorities identified by ABPath, listed here.

Proposed project duration: 12–18 months

• Month 0–2: Study design and approvals
  
  
• Month 3–10: Data collection
  
  
• Month 11–14: Data analysis
  
  
• Month 15–18: Reporting and poster/manuscript preparation
  
  

Applicants should submit:

• Statement of interest
  
  
• Proposed study design and methodology
  
  
• Timeline and milestones
  
  
• Budget and justification
  
  
• Curriculum vitae
  
  

Proposals will be evaluated based on:

• Scientific rigor and methodological soundness
  
  
• Feasibility of execution
  
  
• Relevance to competency-based assessment in pathology
  
  
• Investigator qualifications
  
  
• Budget appropriateness
  
  

An award of $15,000 is provided to support the direct costs of research and travel expenses associated with program participation.

Applications to the ABMS Scholars Program are completed through the Cadmium Abstract ScoreCard platform. Contact the ABMS Scholars Program for questions regarding the application process.

Important Dates

Application Period Opens: March 22, 2026

Informational Webinar: April 28, 2026, at 5:00 pm (CT)

Application Deadline: June 22, 2026, at 11:59 pm (CT)

Notification of Award: August 5, 2026

Scholar Year Start: September 2026 at ABMS Conference

Scholar Year Concludes: September 2027 at ABMS Conference