Joined by a multidisciplinary panel of investigators, CCTS provided resources, opportunities and tips to a standing room only crowd of early stage investigators eager to learn about securing an NIH K grant or equivalent.

Co-Director of CCTS Training Academy, Michael Mugavero, MD, laid the foundation for a lively panel discussion by providing an overview of CCTS resources available for early career scholars including Project Panels, BERD Consultation, CCTS Grant Library, Clinical Research Support Program, and the Deep South Mentored Career Development Program. He was then joined by investigators who have been successfully funded with the help of CCTS: Drs. Surya Bhatt, Crystal Chapman Lambert, and Gregory A. Payne.

We highlight a few tips they shared:

• A Panel Done Quickly (PDQ) is most effective when you have a biosketch with a personal statement tailored to the specific the grant, and the grant itself (research, career development, and candidate section).
• It’s hard to find one mentor that gives you everything. It’s good to have a mentoring team that can include a primary mentor, secondary mentor and two or three advisors.
• It is important to maintain focus on your scientific vision while being open to constructive feedback on your grant.

To hear the full discussion, watch the video of our June 2019 CCTS Monthly Forum on the CCTS YouTube channel and download the slide deck on the CCTS Monthly Forum page.