CTSA K12 Program at Stanford - Training the next generation of translational scholars who can innovate, think creatively, and apply rigorous and responsible research principles to major problems is society's best chance to recoup its enormous investment in biomedical research. The Stanford CTSA's Mentored Research Career Development Program (K12) sits at the center of a dynamic Stanford and Silicon Valley ecosystem of biomedical research at all stages, from basic discovery to practical implementation. Our KL2 program has a 15-year history of successfully training Scholars to become exceptional scientists, leaders, and mentors. Our Scholars have over 2,749 publications (average 58 each) cited over 45,000 times since graduation, and all who have graduated since 2021 in the last two cycles have received subsequent independent research funding. That success has rested on a philosophy of practical, individualized training tailored to the Scholars and focused on the established characteristics of successful translational scientists. We will provide tailored mentoring and career development to four instructors and junior faculty from varied disciplinary backgrounds each year. Our alliance with the VA early career and Center for Digital Health training programs brings new colleagues into our scholarly community. Thematic emphases include leveraging developments in informatics to accelerate translational research, interdisciplinary teams, and enhancing the rigor and reproducibility of clinical research to ensure that translated products will truly benefit patients. The science of translation brings that rigor to the study of moving research across the translational spectrum and is embedded throughout our program. We have a strong recruitment plan and rigorous evaluation process to ensure that we attract the best Scholars. We structure our program around four specific aims: mentorship, education and professional development, evaluation, and impact. We have assembled a world-class faculty committed to training and mentoring our Scholars who together have a research program funded in excess of $350 million. The MPIs are both award-winning mentors with strong experience in leading large research projects and synergistic strengths. We have also assembled an outstanding team of mentors specific to community engagement and analytic methods, as well as a strong emphasis on peer mentoring. The education and professional development aim covers not just the domains of translational research and the science of translation, but lectures and experiences designed to imbue Scholars with the practical and leadership skills they will need to succeed. Our talented External Advisory Board of nationally renowned educators and scientists will, together with the Community Advisory Board, give the program strategic guidance. A robust evaluation and a long-term outcomes tracking plan ensures that we will continuously improve this program and maximize impact.
