Explore UAB

• What: An individual development plan (IDP) is a tool, allowing trainees and scholars to identify and elucidate their career goals, both in the short and long term. It can also serve as a pact between mentor and mentee in terms expectations and deliverables.
• Why: By providing an opportunity for reflection and an analysis of one’s strengths, weaknesses, interests, and aspirations, it can keep track of progress toward identified goals and pinpoint areas for improvement.
• Who: IDPs are utilized by many investigators, but required of all CCTS TL1 and KL2 awardees.

• What: A monthly presentation on rotating topics such as team science, writing a specific aims page, how to speak to a program officer, etc., that provides beneficial information on career planning and development.
• Why: Learn from experts in various fields with topics presented in a relaxed environment structured to promote collaborative learning, networking, and problem-solving.
• Who: Faculty, Graduate & Postgraduate

• What: A weekly opportunity co-sponsored by the CCTS and COERE, for investigators, trainees, and others interested in population and health outcomes research to discuss best practices and hear from experts.
• Why: This meeting provides a space to share your latest project in a supportive "discipline agnostic" environment, find new collaborators, develop foundational skills in study design, outcomes measurement, and evaluation, and practice critical "soft" career skills such as public speaking, networking, and providing/accepting constructive feedback. *For students in the UAB School of Public Health, this weekly meeting is EPI 690: Population and Health Outcomes Research Seminar Series.
• Who: Faculty, Graduate & Postgraduate

 
Mastering Collaborative Research Leadership

• What: 8-week course to enhance leadership skills among clinical research team members through experiential learning

• Why: Understand fundamental concepts of leadership, interpersonal effectiveness, trust-building and teamwork 

• Who: Clinical Research Staff Professionals committed to enhancing their interpersonal and leadership skills

• What: This two-day event convenes predoctoral, postdoctoral, and early career scholars, as well as their mentors and training grant leaders, from across the CCTS Partner Network for experiential training and career development sessions on translational and design thinking, grant writing, clinical trials, community engagement, and funding opportunities.
• Why: Sharpen your grant writing and research skills, expand your translational thinking, and connect with new friends and future collaborators
• Who: Investigators at any stage, from student to senior faculty

Learn at your own pace with over 170 recordings from all CCTS events, including best practices and trainings.

In support of translational knowledge and research skills development, the CCTS offers short-term "immersion" opportunities, also known as mini-sabbaticals. A unique experiential learning opportunity in which we provide travel support for a CCTS investigator to learn a new tool or technique from a researcher at another institution.

• What: A six-month certificate program that provides training in clinical and translational research, including approximately 50 hours of didactic instruction as well as interactive experiences. Course content represents the following modules: Clinical Trials, Epidemiology, Biostatistics, Ethics, Clinical Genetics Research, Behavioral and Outcomes Research, and Dissemination of Results.
• Why: This program gives an overview of clinical and translational science and can help prepare participants to conduct clinical and translational research responsibly.
• Who: Faculty, Graduate & Postgraduate

• What: A lecture series on translational research held each summer to introduce translational research to investigators: from translating your question into a project, project/team management, research methods to preparing a scientific abstract and writing your research.
• Why: Participants will gain a basic understanding of translational research and how to manage research projects.
• Who: Undergraduate, Graduate & Postgraduate

What: Clinical Research Support Program (CRSP) educational offerings provide academic training in the principles essential for success in the clinical research environment. In-person, classroom-based, and online courses relevant to investigators, study coordinators, financial staff, regulatory coordinators, and other research staff are available, with emphases on Good Clinical Practices (GCP), compliance, and other key topics.

• What: An annual event that brings together researchers, bioethicists, students, community members, and front-line research and clinical staff to discuss special ethics topics in research.
• Why: To create a safe space for invited experts and pertinent stakeholders to highlight and reflect on ethical approaches that inform best practices individually, institutionally, and collectively to drive effective policy and law. 
• Who: Faculty, Staff, Graduate & Postgraduate, Community Members

• What: Panels are here to help you brainstorm ideas, generate research questions, meet possible collaborators, fine-tune study design and sharpen your proposals. Whether you want a multi-disciplinary panel for your proposal or a quick, more tailored group, we assemble whatever expertise is needed to work with you to strengthen your project. Meet with a team of scientific experts who have perused your application as a first level of peer review.
• Why: Investigators who participate in a CCTS panel experience a success rate that beats the NIH payline by 3-fold.
• Who: Faculty, Graduate & Postgraduate

• What: Free one-on-one consultations with a multidisciplinary team of expert biostatisticians, epidemiologists, and methodologists to enhance federal research proposals, including NIH (R01, R21, K, etc.), NSF, and DOD, as well as non-governmental funding opportunities. Our team also offers assistance with manuscript development, including data analysis, graph development, and results interpretation.
• Who: Investigators at any stage, from student to senior faculty

• What is Kaizen? An app-based, educational gaming platform. Developed as an innovative quiz game, the aim is to provide a fun and flexible way to learn new competencies and test retention.
• What is Kaizen-R2T? The CCTS currently runs a bi-monthly game on the Kaizen platform to enable investigators to complete the NIH requirement for formal insttruction in rigor, responsibility, and transparency. 
• Who should play? All T, K, and F awardees are encouraged to play, but it is open to all investigators across the CCTS Partner Network, and around the country.

• What: A replication of an NIH study section where participants serve as reviewers and conduct a mock review of the “before” version of a real-world K or R application that received funding after a CCTS panel review and resubmission.
• Why: Participants are able to learn how a study section operates from the perspective of those who serve on study sections to better prepare their own grants for review.
• Who: Faculty, Graduate & Postgraduate

• What: GRIT, a collaboration between the CCTS and COERE, offers scholars 4-6 months of highly structured weekly activities focused on specific steps in the grant application process.
• Why: From NIH Specific Aims and Biosketches to training and budget plans, the GRIT cohort program provides invaluable guidance and can help participants meet submission deadlines.
• Who: Early-stage investigators, trainees, and postdoctoral trainees who are applying for their first extramural Career Development Award ((e.g., K01, K23, K08, K99/R00 etc.) or aiming to develop their first independent R-level grant (e.g., R01, R34, R31 etc.)

• What: A series of nine presentations on topics related to the nuances of the mentor-mentee relationship. Our case-based discussions help participants discover new strategies to maximize the benefits of this career-enhancing skill. All sessions facilitated by experienced UAB mentors.
• Why: Investigators will discover new strategies in mentoring and be better prepared to handle mentoring challenges that may arise in their laboratories.
• Who: Faculty, Graduate & Postgraduate

• What: An eight-week, case-based course, utilizing the National Institute of Health’s Collaboration and Team Science Field Guide, 2nd Edition, along with included brief case studies to help scientists learn the basics of team science and collaboration as well as how to navigate the challenges of working in interdisciplinary teams.
• Why: Interdisciplinary efforts are becoming more critical for scientific discovery and translational research efforts, and through this program, participants will learn tips and techniques to effectively develop, lead, and manage teams.
• Who: Faculty, Graduate & Postgraduate

• What: The mission of DRIVEN is to cultivate a community of interdisciplinary clinical translational investigators by promoting individual and collective professional development, recognition, and advancement.
• Who: Faculty, Graduate & Postgraduate

• What: This seminar series convenes researchers and trainees interested in a broad spectrum of Health Disparities, Aging and Outcomes and Effectiveness Research. Speakers are invited to share research methods that may be applied to other areas of research, and secondary dataset information and availability as well as analyses results from the data, and other tips and techniques applicable to health services and health disparities research.

• What: A 5-week short course, based upon the successful National Science Foundation I-Corps and I-Corps at NIH Entrepreneurial Training Program, which combines business model training with a customer discovery process.
• Why: Learn how to “get out of the building” and talk to potential customers, partners, and competitors, identify commercial potential for your technology, experience the uncertainty and excitement of creating a startup, and receive eligibility to participate in the NSF I-Corps Teams Program.
• Who: Investigators with an innovation in Life Sciences

• What: Health Sciences Entrepreneurship Grand Rounds is a seminar series collaboration among UAMS, University of Alabama at Birmingham, University of Kentucky, University of New Mexico, University of Utah (all Clinical and Translational Science Awards Program institutions), and University of Tennessee Health Science Center.