CTSA K12 Program at Stanford

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT 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 proposed 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 for four to five instructors and junior faculty from diverse 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 community engagement, interdisciplinary teams and leveraging developments in informatics to accelerate translational research and 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 strong recruitment plan to enhance diversity, and have substantially expanded Scholar training in that area with an innovative advanced program. We structure our program around four specific aims: mentorship, education and professional

development, evaluation, and impact. We have assembled a world-class faculty who are 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 teams 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 diverse 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.