Institutional Career Development

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The UIC Clinical and Translational Sciences (CATS) Scholars Program was initiated in 2009 with the initial NIH funding for the UIC Center for Clinical and Translational Science (CCTS). Our Program has filled a significant gap in career development for biomedical research faculty at UIC, championing and creating a new culture of career mentorship and establishing a vibrant cadre of well-trained and highly successful faculty in clinical and translational science. Over the past 10 years, the CATS Scholars Program has provided mentorship and career development for 34 Scholars through both CTSA and institutional support. Our program supports a diverse group of Scholars who are >60% women, >35% from groups underrepresented in biomedical research, and from five different health sciences colleges. The overall goal of the CATS Scholars Program is to support the development of clinical and translational scientists who will engage the community and who will make substantive research advances that impact patient care. The specific goals of the program are 1) to provide a mentored career development experience that allows Scholars to develop the NIH/CTSA identified core competencies in clinical and translational research, 2) to provide Scholars with unique training opportunities that will drive innovation in research and 3) to systematically evaluate the Program and provide for continuous improvement and alignment with NIH/CTSA goals of advancing therapeutics, clinical interventions, and behavioral modifications to improve health. The program is supported by a cadre of more than 40 outstanding mentors who maintain vibrant and relevant research programs along with a commitment to mentoring. Innovative components of the program include an institutional commitment to a 3rd year of support for every Scholar, institutional support for external experiences to enrich Scholar training, extension of program activities to support additional “Affiliate” Scholars, engagement of former Scholars as mentors and advisors to the program, and a strong interactive career development program that spans all three Chicago CTSA hubs. Our Scholars benefit greatly from the core services, educational programs, and capacity of the UIC CCTS, and the utilization of these services has been instrumental to their growth. The activities of CATS Scholars align with the national CTSA goals of advancing therapeutics, clinical interventions, and behavioral modifications to improve health, as the Program Plan includes activities within these themes. The success of our scholars is evidenced by their rapid acquisition of independent extramural funding and by the continued advancement of Scholars as leaders in clinical and translational science. The CATS Scholar program, with its inclusive reach, provides a needed and highly valuable career development resource for clinical and translational science faculty at UIC.