Cincinnati Center for Clinical and Translational Sciences and Training

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The University of Cincinnati's Mentored Career Development (KL2) program has 2 objectives: 1) to enhance the clinical and translational research skills and mentoring of clinical and translational investigators, and 2) to develop clinical and translational scientists who can effectively participate on interdisciplinary research teams. Over the first 6 years of our KL2 program, we have funded 16 Scholars, nearly all of whom are pursuing careers in academics and transitioning to independence. Our KL2 Scholars are appointed for 2 years but their home departments are required to guarantee a 3rd year of 75% protected time should the Scholar not obtain his/her own K or R grant during the 2 years of KL2 funding. Because our pool of highly- qualified applicants is robust but the number of slots is limited, in 2014, we created a parallel institutionally-funded CT2 (clinical and translational research) Scholars program. KL2 and CT2 Scholars receive unlimited access to the vast array of research resources offered by the Center for Clinical and Translational Science and Training (CCTST), including study design, database management, data analysis, K23 preparation support, pilot grants, research education, community-engaged research, and regulatory support. The CCTST also runs a K Club for all career development awardees and applicants, and for KL2 and other institutional K12 Scholars, a very highly regarded K Scholars peer mentoring group. The KL2 program utilizes a team mentoring approach. We have assembled a cadre of mentors who have at least $300,000 of funding, a track record of mentoring in clinical and translational research, and protected time for mentorship. We provide mentor training courses and we encourage the use of individual development plans and mentor contracts. For the renewal, we plan to train 4 KL2 Scholars at a time and to continue to appoint additional institutionally-funded CT2 Scholars. Our planned new initiatives emanate from multiple sources, including feedback from Scholars and mentors, our experience running the KL2 program, ideas generated by the former CTSA Consortium committees related to education and career development, and changes in the new CTSA funding opportunity announcement. Planned enhancements thus include training in team science; a variety of externship opportunities; mentor training for KL2 graduates; a new Career Development Council; and collaborations with other CTSA hubs in the form of joint pilot grant programs for KL2 Scholars, reciprocal reviews of Scholar applications, externships, and new courses.