Institutional Career Development Core

The Southern California Clinical Translational Institute’s Individual Career Development (ICD) Program operates within the University of Southern California and Children's Hospital Los Angeles. We operate in the heart of Los Angeles, where 85% of residents are from underrepresented minority groups, 20% live below the federal poverty level, 30% are under 18 years old, and 57% of adults do not complete high school. The disease burden is high and amplified by health disparities linked to poverty, crime, language barriers, and cultural beliefs. Thus, we aim to: 1) develop leaders who conduct rigorous and reproducible clinical translational research (CTR) that identifies and overcomes translational barriers to improve the health of all populations within our local communities, 2) empower Scholars to sustain CTR careers, and 3) increase Scholar ability to work effectively with the population surrounding our institutions. Based on these aims, we expand the ICD Institutional Ecosystem with state-of-the-art Education and Mentor Resource Centers and Advisory and Faculty Boards with strong educational CTR expertise and broader URM representation. We propose to train 4 new Scholars per year for three years each through NIH, institutional, and departmental funds. The ICD Program builds on a successful three-course series emphasizing CTR research methodology, rigor and reproducibility, team science, communication skills, and research in the local populations surrounding our institutions, combined with a comprehensive career development program. Scholars enroll in a Master’s or Certificate program in Clinical, Biomedical, and Translational Investigations. New ICD training opportunities include healthcare delivery science, health data science, precision medicine, and Quality by Design. A robust distance education platform is in place for recording, archiving, and disseminating educational materials; it also supports Scholars in developing oral communication skills and disseminating their research. Experiential opportunities include interactions with SC CTSI core experts in, e.g., digital recruitment, community engagement, regulatory knowledge, community mentors, and visiting scholar research presentations at other CTSA institutions. Scholars-Mentor teams use Individual Development Plans to guide career progression throughout the program. Barriers to career progression are identified and addressed through a novel Barriers Mitigation Board which informs scholars' resilience for long-term career success. We have created robust tracking and evaluation processes that inform and advance the program. Data show transformative and widespread institutional change due to ICD Scholars and alumni transitioning to independent research careers with robust research funding, academic productivity, and advancement. More broadly, we have contributed regionally and nationally to training and career development in CTR by sharing tools and best practices and leadership in CTSA committees and working groups. We look forward to expanding this success in the next funding cycle.