CTSA K12 Program at University of Colorado Denver - PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT Effective clinical and translational research (CTR) requires teams of scientists who can move out of traditional siloes to engage in research across the translational ecosystem. Competencies in a discipline known as clinical and translational science (CTS) that includes an array of fundamental characteristics has been proposed by Gilliland and others, which extends beyond traditional CTR characteristics to feature boundary crossing, process innovation, and systems thinking in its repertoire. Notably, CTR training programs have addressed these features in a relatively limited fashion to date that has contributed to the inability of CTR scientists to nimbly adapt to uncertainty and innovation in the research environment. Therefore, for our CTSA K12 Program integrated into Workforce Development of our Colorado Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute, we have incorporated Gilliland’s fundamental CTS characteristics into our K12 program objectives. We request support for six K12 junior faculty scholar positions; appointments will be of at least two years, but no more than three years’ duration. Our K12 program will support development of scholar self- efficacy using guidance from K12 faculty mentor dyads, and support from K12 program directors. Scholars will gain key knowledge, skills, and abilities in an integrated neighborhood of opportunities in CCTSI programs (funded in our UM1 application) and at academic Partnering Institutions. Our K12 program features six objectives to ensure scholars’ academic skills development and enlargement of their information and mentoring network: (1) execution of an independent career development plan based on Gilliland’s fundamental characteristics to provide core CTS knowledge, personalized to the scholar’s research interests and experience, (2) receipt of evidence-informed mentoring training in collaboration with faculty mentors, (3) professional/managerial education, and team leadership training, (4) advanced experiences in academic writing, including dissemination and communication strategies to enhance impact of research, (5) building relationships with key stakeholders and members across the scientific ecosystem, and (6) connection to innovative CTS programs to push existing knowledge boundaries and augment the collaborative network. Planned short- and long-term evaluations and continuous quality improvement of the program will guide efforts and address evolving demands. Importantly, one additional objective for our K12 program will ensure equitable recruitment processes and enhanced training of individuals traditionally underrepresented in biomedical training programs. Our K12 Program contrasts with other programs at our institution given its heterogeneous, disease agnostic approach, with focus on the training efficient translational scientists who can surmount barriers inevitably present in research itself, and in one’s career. The program will support scholars’ growth to become recognized leaders of diverse research teams with independent extramural funding who can innovate across the translational ecosystem as collaborative clinical translational scientists.
