Institutional Career Development Core

The KL2 Core is an essential component of the Georgia Clinical & Translational Science Alliance (Georgia CTSA) and is designed to respond to the critical needs of training a new generation of clinical and translational research (CTR) investigators who will carry out high impact research and translate new discoveries to improve health outcomes and advance public health. The Georgia CTSA KL2 Core is closely linked with our TL1 Core, and both programs are governed by a joint KL2-TL1 Research Education Executive Committee. The KL2 Core is focused on enhancing career development of junior faculty (Instructor or Assistant Professor level with either MD, PharmD, and/or PhD degrees) with substantial potential to become successful and transformative biomedical researchers at the Georgia CTSA partner institutions (Emory University, Morehouse School of Medicine, Georgia Institute of Technology [Georgia Tech], and the University of Georgia). A solid foundation has been established for the KL2 Core over the past 14 years.

Our KL2 program has supported 60 scholars (including 26 during the current cycle of funding. Among the 46 scholars who have completed training, 43 (93%) remain in careers engaged in CTR; 70% of our former KL2 scholars have gone on to obtain federal funding as PI; and 6 former KL2 scholars have assumed leadership positions in Georgia CTSA. The KL2 Core also provides critical didactic and mentored CTR training infrastructure for KL2 scholars and other trainees at the 4 partner institutions through support of the Master of Science in Clinical Research (MSCR) program and the Certificate Program in Translational Science (CPTS). The development of online/virtual training for the MSCR and CPTS programs (necessitated by the COVID-19 pandemic) enables us to expand the reach of these successful CTR training programs across the partner institutions.

In the next funding cycle, we will expand personalized training pathways and provide scholars with the skills to conduct CTR that addresses significant public health challenges. We aim to broaden participation in the KL2 program across partner institutions and facilitate career development to help ensure scholars are equipped to serve in a range of research and leadership settings. We will also fully implement an expanded K-ADVANCE (K to R mentoring) program for former scholars and other trainees. A comprehensive evaluation plan will continue to measure the impact of our KL2 Core activities and provide evidence-based data to make midcourse corrections, as needed.

Specific aims include: 1) To promote and enhance personalized career development of junior faculty across the 4 partner institutions; 2) To continue to support and innovate the successful Georgia CTSA MSCR and CPTS programs which provide didactic and mentored CTR training to KL2 scholars and other trainees; and 3) To enhance mentorship training and enrich “influential mentoring” activities for the next generation of CTR investigators through evidence-informed approaches that prepare mentors to effectively support the career development of the next generation of CTR investigators.

Grant Number: 5KL2TR002381-09
NIH Institute/Center: NIH
Principal Investigator: HENRY BLUMBERG