CTSA K12 Program at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences

The goal of the UAMS K12 program is to build a cohort of successful translational scientists that enable the mission of the UAMS Translational Research Institute (TRI) to “develop and test translational science innovations that will drive real-world solutions to enhance the health of all populations. This proposed program emphasizes gaining experience and expertise in translational science through interdisciplinary training opportunities, mentored research projects, individualized training, and education of mentors. The program aims to develop scholars who will be productive, funded and generate meaningful and impactful results to improve the health of all Arkansans. Mentored research projects will be able to leverage our hub’s unique resources in implementation science, stakeholder engagement, data science and telehealth. The program plan includes training in the seven foundational knowledge, skills, and abilities of a translational scientist: domain expert, boundary crosser, team player, process innovator, skilled communicator, systems thinker and rigorous researcher. The K12 program includes a robust plan for evaluation to assess and improve its effectiveness in producing translational scientists with careers that will improve the health of all Arkansans. Our evaluation will be enhanced by participating in ongoing cross-CTSA efforts to develop competency-based assessment tools. The K12 program includes a robust and open plan for scholar recruitment and retention. The proposed K12 builds on the success of our current KL2 program which has produced scholars who are creating solutions for multiple health needs in Arkansas. Beyond UAMS, strong collaboration with the Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System and Arkansas Children's Hospital/Arkansas Children’s Research Institute (ACH/ACRI) allows us to train numerous, qualified applicants. In summary, our proposed K12 program will leverage the unique resources available through TRI to produce a successful cohort of investigators that will improve the health of all Arkansans.