Institutional Career Development Core

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Abstract Scripps Translational Science Institute’s (STSI) KL2 career development program aims to deliver comprehensive clinical- translational research competencies to future biomedical leaders and investigators planning careers within academic institutions, healthcare systems, community/public health programs, the biotechnology industry, and priority-setting state and federal health agencies. We endeavor to provide an exemplary, highly inspirational, innovative, and nurturing setting in which young clinician investigators learn and practice skills toward research independence, promoting scholar success through extensive laboratory and clinical research options, classes taught from real-world experience, and stimulating participatory experiences as part of multidisciplinary research teams. The rationale for our program has been to create entirely new clinical-translational research opportunities, coursework, and participatory training for scholars at The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) and Scripps Health (SH) within precision medicine domains previously minimally available at Scripps. Since STSI’s inception, these domains have included genomics, bioinformatics, and community engagement, and have gradually expanded to include important, new STSI concentrations in digital medicine, drug discovery, data science, and behavioral health. Bolstered by STSI’s KL2 clinical scholars program, new educational content has been created and taught by our faculty in clinical trial design, sources of bias, biostatistics, computational biology, research in diverse populations, and public-private partnerships. The KL2 scholars program now shares this education and research training widely throughout TSRI’s Graduate School and postdoctoral opportunities and within SH’s clinical training programs, while functioning as a collaborative bridge between Scripps’ research and clinical communities. Key activities in the KL2 scholar program include: 1) proposing, conducting, and reporting original research through close mentorship among our participating faculty; 2) complementary coursework designed to deliver Clinical Translational Science Award-delineated competencies; and 3) participatory training that increases skills in scientific communication, teamwork, leadership, and academic-industry collaboration. Six, 2-3 year KL2 positions are supported continuously, with an option for a Master’s in Clinical-Translational Investigation, and applications are invited from junior faculty or from postdoctoral clinical trainees who have demonstrated a strong prior commitment to a career in research. The KL2 program provides multidisciplinary mentorship teams for scholars as they develop skills and find a research niche through independent studies, coursework, applications for pilot or other seed grants, collection of preliminary research data, and publication that will form the basis for independent funding. Objectives for the next cycle include continued expansion of the available research training domains, innovative educational content and delivery, increased participatory experiences in community engagement and externships, and increased diversity in our program through new research and recruitment partnerships.