Bringing In The Research Dollars! (BiRD)

Georgia CTSA KL2 Program


Deadline: February 03, 2025 5 pm

Amount: Scholars program will receive salary support to enable them to spend at least 75% of their professional time (50% is allowed for trainees from surgery or surgical subspecialties) on clinical and translational research (CTR)/clinical and translational science (CTS) and research training. They will also receive a KL2 technical budget of $25,000 per year for research-related expenses and tuition for the Master of Science in Clinical Research (MSCR) degree or Certificate Program in Translational Science (CPTS) programs.

Purpose

The goal of the Georgia CTSA KL2 Program is to support and enhance career development for junior faculty (MD, PhD, MD/PhD, or PharmD) interested in a career that encompasses clinical and translational science (CTS) and clinical and translational research (CTR). The KL2 Program supports career development for junior faculty from a wide variety of disciplines at the Georgia CTSA partner institutions: Emory University, Morehouse School of Medicine (MSM), Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech), and University of Georgia (UGA). The Georgia CTSA KL2 Program is committed to supporting junior faculty (Instructor or Assistant Professor level) at the partner institutions to become independent, established, and ethical clinical and translational science investigators. Trainees accepted into the Georgia CTSA KL2  Didactic research training is provided through the MSCR or CPTS programs and mentored research training under the direction of an established, federally funded clinical investigator at one of the collaborating institutions. Support in the Georgia CTSA KL2 Program will be provided for up to two years. 

Each junior faculty trainee must identify a lead mentor who is an established, independently funded clinical and/or translational science investigator at one of the collaborating institutions (Emory, MSM, Georgia Tech, or UGA). Lead mentors should be established and successful clinical and/or translational science investigators with a strong mentoring track record. Generally this means that the lead investigator must be a federally-funded investigator (e.g., NIH and/or CDC). A faculty mentor may only serve as lead mentor for a single KL2 applicant or scholar at any one time.

A letter of support from the lead mentor indicating their willingness and desire to serve as the trainee's lead mentor should be included in the candidate's application. All KL2 scholars must have mentored clinical and/or translational research training under the direction of their lead mentor. Additional co-mentors or Advisory Committee members are permitted; however, there must be a single lead mentor that is identified. Multidisciplinary mentoring teams are strongly encouraged as is having representation from at least two of the Georgia CTSA partners on the mentoring team or Advisory Committee (Emory, MSM, Georgia Tech, or UGA).

Junior faculty with a doctorate (MD, PhD, MD/PhD, PharmD, or equivalent) at the rank of Instructor or Assistant Professor at Emory, Morehouse School of Medicine (MSM), Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech), or University of Georgia (UGA) are eligible to apply to the program. Individuals who have accepted a faculty appointment at any of the four collaborating institutions may also apply if they will be on the Emory, MSM, Georgia Tech, or UGA faculty at the date of receipt of the award (e.g., June 1 or July 1). Faculty appointments cannot be dependent upon receipt of this KL2 award. Junior faculty physician candidates should have completed training in a specialty or subspecialty and be board eligible or certified. Non-physician candidates must have a PhD and/or PharmD degrees.

Candidates must be committed to a career in clinical investigation (clinical and/or translational research) and be willing to commit in writing to serve on the faculty of an academic institution pursuing clinical and/or translational research for each year of support received through the KL2 program.

Per NIH guidelines, candidates must be a U.S. citizen or permanent U.S. resident at the time they submit the application. Individuals on temporary or student visas are not eligible.

Also per NIH rules, KL2 scholar applicants may not simultaneously submit or have pending an application for any other PHS mentored career development award (e.g. K01, K07, K08, K22, K23, K25) that duplicates any of the provisions of the KL2 program. Former or current Principal Investigators on any NIH research project grant (e.g. R01, U01) or equivalent non-PHS peer reviewed research grants that are over $100,000 direct costs per year, or project leaders on sub-projects of program project (P01) or center grants (P50) are NOT eligible to participate as KL2 scholars. KL2 scholars are allowed to hold NIH Small Grants (R03) or NIH Exploratory/Developmental (R21) grants or their equivalents and still be eligible for the KL2 award. Appointed KL2 scholars may apply for NIH K23 or equivalent K grant support; if successful, they transfer to the NIH K award.

REQUIREMENTS 

The candidate must:

Be a full time junior faculty member at Emory University, Morehouse School of Medicine, Georgia Institute of Technology, or University of Georgia (Instructor or Assistant Professor or equivalent level) at the time of receipt of the award
Indicate a strong interest in pursuing a career in clinical and/or translational research
Be nominated by the candidate's Department Chair (and Division Director if applicable); the Chair must guarantee in writing in the letter of support that a minimum of 75% of the junior faculty's professional time will be protected to pursue clinical and/or translational research training if the candidate is accepted into the KL2 program (an exception is made for a minimum of 50% effort for trainees from surgery or surgical subspecialties)
Identify an established Emory, MSM, Georgia Tech, or UGA faculty lead mentor who meets approval criteria. Additional faculty members may serve as co-mentors or Advisory Committee members but there must be a designated single lead mentor.

Please see the accompanying link for access to the recordings and slides from the workshops offered this fall.

More Info: https://georgiactsa.org/training/kl2.html



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