Miami Clinical and Translational Science Institute K12 Program

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Project Summary The goal of the University of Miami CTSI K12 Career Development Program is to prepare 10 diverse scholars (MD or PhD) for independent and sustained careers in clinical translational science and research (CTSR) with focus on health disparity, community health and health equity. Integrated with the Miami CTSI, the program will develop a robust, broad-based CTSR workforce of diverse scientists who possess both deep scientific domain expertise and broader research systems understanding. Driven by this goal, we have set three objectives: 1) develop core competences and knowledge in CTSR; 2) provide evidence-informed mentoring; and 3) accelerate transition to independent and sustained careers in CTSR. Our program is designed to ensure that a diverse pool of highly trained CTSR scientists can address community needs. Following the NCATS vision of the ideal translational scientist, the program’s approach to CTSR training is global, where scholars produce discoveries that are simultaneously important for their disciplines, contribute to other disciplines, and of benefit to patients and communities, advancing the translational process as a whole. Our program’s conceptual approach integrates principles of team science, dissemination & implementation (D&I) and diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility to help scholars successfully move their research products into real-world use relevant to public health. Given our geographical location, with exceptional diversity in ancestry, racial/ethnic identities, and cultures combined with ten years of a successful CTSI KL2 program and a strong institutional commitment to workforce diversity and research environment, we offer unique training opportunities for addressing complex CTSR challenges such as disparities and health equity. The program is organized around five major activities: (1) recruitment and selection of highly qualified candidates; (2) developing key competencies in CTSR; (3) collaborative mentorship by CTSR domain experts, and clinician, peer and community mentors; (4) accelerating scholar transition to an independent and sustained career in CTSR; and (5) program evaluation. In the five years of the K12 award cycle, the program will provide up to two years of funding to each scholar for personalized training, intensive scientific practice, and research career development experience under the guidance of collaborative mentorships and partnerships outside of their areas of expertise, both within their research domains and with community stakeholders. Our rigorous evaluation plan assesses the quality and effectiveness of the training program to gauge its effectiveness in enhancing diversity and principles of D&I in CTSR, and scholar capacity to effectively lead, communicate, collaborate, and break down barriers across multidisciplinary teams and the translational process. The program is led by two directors who are translational MD/PhD researchers with complementary laboratory-to-clinical and clinical-to-population health research, and guidance committees composed of experienced scientists and training program leaders from our Hub and other CTSAs.