Five sessions provide an overview and strategies for writing a mentored K award. Group size is limited, and you must be eligible to apply for a K award to engage. Commitment to all five sessions is encouraged.
NIH Application Advice and Examples
Dr. Katherine E. Hartmann, Associate Dean for Clinical and Translational Scientist Development at Vanderbilt University, joined the TIERS group on June 10th to discuss "Going Pro" in the world of academic medicine. Read her article on the Edge for Scholars website and view the slides comparing the NFL Combine to an NIH Study Section.
Learn which mentored K awards are tailored to physician-scientists and why it's important to pick the right institute for your application. Review success rates by a mechanism at all NIH Institutes and Centers. Looking for NIH research grant examples? The NIAID has example grants (R and K) and summary statements (aka pink sheets). Local K applications are available for viewing here.
The Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP; Dr. Robin Lorenz, PI) maintains sample Fellowship awards.
Dr. David Redden, Chair, UAB Department of Biostatistics, methodology seminars on "The Fundamentals of Data Management"
Dr. Tung-Tien Sun's Scientific Method website (Sun Laboratory, New York University School of Medicine)
Dr. Mark Rolstch, former NIH Scientific Review Officer and Program Director, and current Executive Director of the Office of Academic Research and Sponsored Project at St Mary's University, San Antonio, Texas - Fellowship and K award talks Dr. Rolstch visited the UAB campus in May; the archived talks are from similar events at Stanford University.
Mentor Training Opportunities - Join with another faculty to expand your mentoring skills and knowledge. New groups form at least twice a year. Please contact the
The Clinical and Translational Science Training Program (CTSTP) - The CTS Training Program is a six-month certificate program that includes approximately 50 hours of didactic instruction and interactive experience. The program provides training in clinical and translational research over a six-month period (January to June) with class on Wednesday mornings, 8-10 am. Videoconference access is available for those away from UAB. For more information about participation in the program or if you are interested in speaking, contact Jean Lambert, Training Academy, at
Course Offered in the Office of Postdoctoral Training:
For a full list of training opportunities, visit our Training Academy resources page.
For a full list of CCTS events, visit our upcoming events and recurring events page. Subscribe to the CCTS Digest to stay informed about upcoming learning opportunities.
Broaden Your Career Options with a Full-time CCTS Mentored Research Training Experience!
Are you a student in a health-related doctoral program (MD, PhD, PharmD, DDS, DMD, DVM, etc.)? If so, we encourage you to apply for the CCTS Predoctoral Clinical/Translational Research (T) Program, a mentored research experience that provides the curious and creative with the tools and expertise to thrive as investigators in any setting (e.g., academia, government, industry). You are eligible if you will have completed the second year of your program when the T traineeship starts.
Our immersive program provides 12 months (for MD students) or 24 months (for PhD students) of protected time for Trainees to develop projects focused on reducing health disparities and/or diseases that disproportionately affect the Deep South. In addition, fellows will complete the core curriculum, get experience writing a manuscript, and present their research at a national conference.
The many benefits of the CCTS Predoctoral Clinical/Translational Research Program include:
- NIH National Research Service Award (NRSA) predoctoral stipend (currently $27,144) for full-time multidisciplinary mentored research training
- $1,500 travel support to attend the ACTS national meeting
- Up to $16,000 tuition support towards a Master’s degree/coursework or to complete a certificate program such as the CCTS Clinical and Translational Science Training Program
- Support for health insurance and research training-related expenses
- Dynamic learning with multidisciplinary peers of excellence
- Access to a pool of 30+ experienced mentors
- Exposure to epidemiological and statistical methodologies
- Career-broadening networking and learning opportunities
- The opportunity to make a difference through research projects in support of the CCTS mission
Please email Jeanne Merchant (
D&I science is an interdisciplinary field that focuses on the systematic development and implementation of methods to identify means to optimize delivery of interventions proven efficacious. It requires a deep understanding of the complex social, cultural, and economic factors that drive health disparities, as well as the skills and knowledge to design, implement, and evaluate interventions that address these inequities. The CCTS Partner Network has an extensive network of D&I researchers with active collaborations within and across academic units and centers in the Deep South.
Training program overview
The goal of this program is to create highly trained, interdisciplinary and culturally competent postdoctoral trainees. In addition to activities and didactic training required of all postdoctoral trainees, the following activities are designed for this T32 training program:- In-depth mentoring on a D&I research project with weekly study team meetings
- Completion of an individual development plan (IDP) and mentoring activities
- D&I-focused didactics including coursework and D&I journal club
- Mentored-research immersions into teams conducting D&I research including hybrid implementation effectiveness studies, research in large consortiums or integrated healthcare systems, developing, implementing, and evaluating community-level interventions to address health inequities
- Cultural competency and training through intentional integration into One Great Community, the CCTS Community Scientific and Action Board, to build and enhance relationships with communities, stakeholders, and related groups and didactic offerings through the CCTS
- Grant-writing course to prepare a career development grant application
- Travel funds to attend and present their research at D&I and other discipline-focused national conferences, as well as the annual CCTS Translational Training Symposium and T32 Jamboree
- Networking and one-on-one mentorship during the CCTS Symposium
- Coordinated peer-mentoring activities with the companion T32 and K12 learning opportunities
T32 RFA | Apply Here |
Have additional questions? Contact Jeanne Merchant via phone at 205-996-9672.