CTSA K12 Program at University of Utah: Early Career Faculty Development Program

The proposed Utah Clinical and Translational Science Institute (CTSI) K12 career development training program will build a foundation for junior investigators to achieve fulfilling careers in translational research by preparing them for external career development or independent research awards. This application requests support to build on the programmatic successes of our prior KL2 program by increasing the number of scholars to 5, each for 2 to 3 years, and through innovative programming designed to maximize principles of translational science. During the prior KL2 period, the program more than doubled in size, increased the K to R transition from 17% to 50%. The proposed leadership team is highly experienced and well-integrated in the CTSI through active involvement in mentor training and the T32 and R25 programs. The team is also integrated with Module C1, both as grant writing instructors in the formal degree program and in workshops for faculty seeking their first R01. The proposed K12 aims to 1) recruit and support K12 scholars, with particular emphasis on attracting those with a promising trajectory from many different career paths and research interests, 2) expand the K12 career development curriculum to include training in translational science and research dissemination, and 3) maximize the proportion of K12 scholars who achieve independent research support within 5 years of completing the training award. The proposed K12 program focuses on supporting individualized training plans for scholars conducting clinical and translational research (T1-T4) using the principles of translational science as well as purely translational science projects. In addition to the 5 scholars supported by the K12, our career development program will also include up to 6 additional scholars supported by CTSI partner institutions and supplemental grants. Key programmatic elements include our highly successful Matrix Mentoring Model, interdisciplinary mentoring teams, and guaranteed acceptance into a 2-year institutional program focused on training junior investigators in career development, grant writing, management and leadership. Additional programmatic elements include didactic training in implementation science with the opportunity to earn a certificate, mini-immersions in translational research and science across the CTSI (clinical trial services, Biomedical Informatics, biostatistics, epidemiology, research design, and community collaboration & engagement), monthly K Club focusing on translational science and research ethics, and assorted research forums including a quarterly virtual translational science roundtable, a collaboration with the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio’s CTSA. Our training opportunities are designed to ensure that scholars develop the characteristics of clinical and translational researchers through novel curricular advancements that focus on translational science and communication skills. The program’s aims are paired with measurable outcomes and our evaluation team will use a results-based accountability and value engineering framework.