Overview

Tufts CTSI offers a K12 Translational Science Career Development Award for highly qualified early career faculty and advanced postdoctoral fellows to conduct multidisciplinary clinical/patient-oriented research for two years. This NIH-funded program is designed to foster collaborative research across Tufts-affiliated hospitals/campuses and across disciplines.

Recipients are innovative scientists across the translational science spectrum. They receive research training, funding for protected research time, some research supplies, and a structured program to prepare them for translational research careers.

To receive updates, please subscribe to our announcements.

K12 Objectives

The K12 awards aim to:

  • Identify highly promising trainees in the early career stage with an interest in translational research
  • Provide them with a mentoring team to foster translational and team research skills
  • Provide them with research infrastructure support and formal training programs to foster their mentored research projects and their conversion to funded independent and team science investigation.

By meeting these objectives, we will train the next generation of highly successful, translational scientists, who are well-trained in the concepts of team science and in translating research findings to clinical practice, public health, and public policy.

Who is Eligible?

Eligible applicants are early career faculty members and advanced postdoctoral fellows who have demonstrated the aptitude and commitment to clinical and translational science and have a high probability of obtaining extramural funding after the training program. For further requirements, please see application section.

CTSI K12 Benefits

The program provides salary support and research support.

Selected CTSI K12 Scholars Will:

  1. Be able to devote 75% of time to research
  2. Attend a monthly 90-minute Junior Faculty Research Career Development Forum, a learning community seminar (a faculty-facilitated 15–20-person seminar focused on developing research skills, including manuscript and grant applications).
  3. Complete two or more peer-reviewed manuscripts for publication, per year. Any manuscripts resulting from the K12 Career Development Award Program must include the following grant citation: The project described was supported by the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Grant Number K12TR004384. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the NIH. For more information, please visit our How to Cite Tufts CTSI
  4. By the end of the training program, be prepared to submit for extramural research funding (NIH, AHRQ, PCORI, or foundation/industry awards) for additional career development or independent research grants.
  5. Complete an annual report and present it to the K12 Advisory Committee. The second year of funding is contingent upon a successful Committee review.
  6. Complete, during their two years of funding, a course on the responsible conduct of research.
  7. Attend the Association for Clinical and Translational ScienceAnnual Meeting and present their scientific work.
  8. Scholars without clinical and translational research training are encouraged to complete the MS Program in clinical and translational science. For information on the core competencies in clinical translational science, please visit the CLIC Core Competencies for Clinical and Translational Research page.  Applicants should discuss early in their application process whether their prior training meets the goals of the program.
  9. Scholars with clinical and translational research training are encouraged to complete courses in study design, and scientific writing. Additionally, scholars will outline specific training goals and formal courses and activities to address their training needs. Applicants can review courses in the Clinical and Translational Science Graduate Programat the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences for available coursework.
  10. Obtain IRB and IACUC approval before funding can be awarded. Clinical research must also go through NCATS human subjects review prior to beginning the research.