KL2 Program

Opportunity for a Career Development Award

Directors: Charles C. Miller, PhD, and Jon Tyson, MD, MPH

Contact Person: Lucia M. Hernandez - Lucia.M.Hernandez@uth.tmc.edu - 713-500-5651

Request for Proposals for K12 Funding for Early-Career Clinical or Translational Investigators at UTHealth or MD Anderson Anticipated Date of Funding: July 1, 2024

The K12 program of the Center for Clinical and Translational Sciences and the Institute for Clinical Research and Learning Health Care provides career development awards to outstanding early-career faculty members who aspire to become future leaders in clinical or translational research. The joint UT Houston/MD Anderson Clinical and Translational Sciences Award has received a favorable priority score, although funding will not be assured until summer 2024. Upon funding, each awardee will participate in a formal program of research training and mentorship, conduct a major clinical or translational study,a and receive salary support for 75% protected timeb (50% for surgeons) and $18,400/yr to defray project costs for 1-3 yrs.

To be eligible, you must be a US citizen or permanent resident (green card holder) and an instructor or assistant professor at UTHealth Houston or MD Anderson with a MD, DO, DSN, DDS, PhD, DrPH, or PharmD degree. Some restrictions may apply. Applications are due no later than 5 pm, February 15, 2024. Finalists will be selected by March 25 to give a 10-minute presentation of their proposal to the K12 selection committee on April 5.  The anticipated start of funding for each awardee would be July 1, 2024 providing IRB approval and other regulatory requirements (e.g., clinicaltrials.gov registration) have been achieved for their K12 project.

The application form and instructions are attached. They and the footnote below should be read carefully. Potential applicants with questions may e-mail or call Lucia  (Lucia.M.Hernandez@uth.tmc.edu; 713-500-5651), Jon Tyson, MD, MPH (Jon.E.Tyson@uth.tmc.edu; 713-500-5651), or Trey Miller, PhD (Charles.C.Miller@uth.tmc.edu; 713-500-5651).

A proposal will be most competitive if it involves;

1. an experienced, mentor who is or recently has been federally funded, and is highly committed to supervising your research and individualized career development plan;
2. a methodologically strong proposal for research that is likely to be feasible during the funding period and that addresses a novel or important clinical or translational question (proposals involving only in vitro or animal research are not acceptable);
3. evidence of prior publication(s) of clinical or translational research by the trainee (productivity to be assessed in relation to clinical responsibilities and interval since completion of training).
4. an already demonstrated commitment to securing formal training and advanced skills in clinical or translational research as evident from successful participation in a Clinical Research Curriculum, a MS degree program in translational, clinical, health services, epidemiological research, or other similar or more advanced educational

To remain in good standing, each awardee must successfully complete each course of the Clinical Research Curriculum core in the order they are given except when similar courses taken elsewhere are approved by Dr. Miller or Tyson as appropriate substitutes. If appropriate to their career goals, applicants would also take more advanced courses or obtain an MS degree in Clinical Research or other degrees.

Each awardee will be required to submit a progress report demonstrating satisfactory if not exemplary progress at 6 weeks, 3-month and at 6-month intervals thereafter and to provide an updated abstract annually to the Director of the K12 Program.

a The NIH defines Clinical Research as:

• Patient-oriented research. Research conducted with human subjects (or on material of human origin such as tissues, specimens and cognitive phenomena) for which an investigator (or colleague) directly interacts with human Excluded from this definition are in vitro studies

that utilize human tissues that cannot be linked to a living individual. Patient-oriented research includes: (a) mechanisms of human disease, (b) therapeutic interventions, (c) clinical trials, or (d) development of new technologies.

• Epidemiologic and behavioral
• Outcomes research and health services

Translational research involves: 1) applying to discoveries generated in the laboratory and in preclinical studies to the development of studies in humans, or 2) conducting research to enhance the adoption of best practices in the community.

Research involving only laboratory studies of animal models are not acceptable for this award.

In calculating the percent protected time, the NIH has indicated that the denominator includes "total institutional activities for which an individual is compensated by the Institution." This includes any time in house for patient care/call on weekends or at night.

This definition is strictly enforced for K12 Scholars. It is important to understand that % effort is not calculated on a 40-hour workweek or any other standard workweek. In addition, total effort must equal 100%. For example, if an individual averages 80 hours per week during the reporting period, 75% of protected time requires that a mean of 60 hrs/wk be devoted to the K12. Effort reporting is calculated over a 6-month window. It allows for periods of time when effort may be selectively applied to one activity or another but requires that the average effort over the 6-month window be as committed.

^c These funds may be spent in the way that best promotes the research and career development of the awardee (expenditures for any foreign travel must be preapproved.)

^d Total salary support from any source cannot exceed 100%. The grant support provides a maximum of $120K (plus benefits) for salary support of the awardee. At the time of appointment, scholars must not have a pending application for any other PHS mentored career development award (e.g., K07, K08, K22, K23, F99/K00) that duplicates any of the provisions of the K component. Former or current PDs/PIs on any NIH research project grant [this does not include NIH small grants (R03), Exploratory/Developmental (R21) or SBIR, STTR (R43, R44 grants)] or equivalent non-PHS peer-reviewed grants that are over $100,000 direct costs per year, or project leaders on sub-projects of Program project (P01) or center grants (P50) are NOT eligible to participate as scholars.

PLEASE CONTACT LUCIA HERNANDEZ FOR INFORMATION.

Career development grants for instructors and assistant professors

The CCTS KL2 program supports the training and career development of instructors and assistant professors (with MD, DO, DDS, DSN, PhD, RPh, or PharmD degrees) at the CCTS institutions conducting clinical or translational research. The program provides salary support up to 75% of the total salary and $10,000 to $15,000 yearly for research and education costs. Funding is for up to 3 years.

All applicants must be engaged in or preparing to conduct clinical or translational research. Each applicant's department chair must confirm that the applicant will have protected time commensurate with the percent salary support the KL2 program will supply. In calculating percent protected time, the denominator must be the total institutional activities for which an individual is compensated by his or her institution. This includes time in-house for patient care/call at night and on weekends. Applicants must be US citizens or permanent residents. 

Each trainee will conduct a research study under the supervision of a senior faculty mentor and complete the core curriculum at UTHealth Clinical Research Curriculum [link to curriculum here]. Trainees will also propose and complete individualized career development plans that include a statement of career goals and any additional training (beyond the core curriculum) that will be undertaken to complete them.

Click here for the Master’s in Clinical Research also offered by the McGovern Medical School.

PLEASE CONTACT LUCIA HERNANDEZ FOR INFORMATION.

The table below showcases current KL2 scholars. For a list of past scholars, click here.