In addition to the title that each applicant's health science school and department assigns, applicants will be known as Clinical Research Scholars (CR Scholars).

How many funded positions will there be each year?

We hope to select up to 7 CR Scholars each year. The exact number of CR Scholars will depend on the amount and duration of support that current scholars require.

What is the type and amount of funding that is provided to each Scholar?

The program will provide two to five consecutive years of salary support for CR Scholar. In general, the program will provide 75% of the CR Scholar's salary. Therefore, 75% of the CR Scholars' full-time professional effort must be devoted to the didactic training and research program of the K12 Program. Exceptions to the 75% effort requirement may be made for limited specialties (e.g., surgical specialties requiring greater clinical effort to maintain surgical skills), but must be sufficiently justified. In addition, CR Scholars who are full-time research fellows and who are not yet faculty members may be eligible for 100% salary support. In addition to salary support, CR Scholars will receive project funds up to $25,000 per year, as well as limited salary support for their mentors. They may also be eligible for the NIH Loan Repayment Program and are urged to learn about this program (http://www.lrp.nih.gov/).

Can CR Scholars use other federal grants (eg R01 or R21) to support the 25% of their salary that's not covered by the K12?

No. Scholars receiving any of the K awards that support 75% salary may not receive salary support from other federal sources (including NIH, CDC, DoD, etc) except for VA salary for clinical time. Federal grants MAY supply additional research support, but not salary. There is an exception to the rule in the final 2 years of your K12, when you may obtain salary from other federal grants.

Non-federal grants can be used to support the other 25%. Grants from private foudations, voluntary organizations (eg Heart Association, Cancer Society), and professional societies are all acceptable. Most Scholars will also receive support from teaching or clinical activities.

Will CR Scholars be given office space?

Yes. For the first two years of the award, Scholars will be assigned and expected to occupy joint office space with other beginning Scholars. This will help to foster a collaborative milieu and encourage the frequent informal interactions that enrich a rigorous research training program. After two years, the Scholars' home departments and health science schools will provide office space that is co-located with faculty with similar research interests. Laboratory or additional research space is not available directly through the program, but will be provided by the Scholar's mentor or mentorship team.

Is there a limit on time since completing post-doctoral training?

We have not established explicit limits on time since training. However, this award is best suited for applicants who are early in their professional careers. Individuals who have achieved the rank of associate professor will not be eligible.

How is this award different from the NIH's K-08 or K-23 awards?

It is similar in intent and the funding that is available. Individuals who have obtained a K-award will not be eligible. However, there are several important differences. The application materials are much shorter, and the time to notification is much shorter. A personal interview is required. Furthermore, because a group of Scholars will be chosen together, there will be a cohort of Scholars that will provide camaraderie and numerous opportunities to develop collaborative relationships early in their training. A core curriculum will be provided that will develop general scholarship in a breadth of clinical research topics. We will also emphasize intensive mentorship, with limited salary support for your mentors. Finally, awards will be determined by a committee comprised of UW faculty and affiliated investigators.

What is the relationship of the Program with the School of Public Health?

We will encourage most applicants who do not have a strong background in clinical research to take joint courses at the School of Public Health and Community Medicine (SPHCM). Many students will therefore find it advantageous to complete a curriculum that will lead to a Master's degree (M.S., M.P.H.). However, the core curriculum will also include many courses and seminars separate from SPHCM.

Do applicants have to do a MPH?

Absolutely not. This is optional. Many Scholars may already have a master's degree in additional to their doctorate. Other Scholars may feel that this type of degree does not fit with their best interests. Scholars are free to explore other graduate degree options if they can effectively fit it in with their curriculum, research interests, and clinical responsibilities.

Are there different tracks within the Program, or does everyone have to follow the same curriculum?

Clinical research encompasses a wide range of disciplines, ranging from laboratory-based research to studies involving administrative datasets alone. It is clear that no one curriculum will meet the needs of all Scholars. We have therefore designed a common core curriculum for all scholars that have not had its basic elements previously. This curriculum will be supplemented with training that will vary depending on the Scholars' particular interests. Division of Translational Research, Division of Clinical Trials, Division of Outcomes, Clinical Epidemiology, and Health Services Research

Do I have to be a member of the School of Medicine in order to apply?

Absolutely not. This program will strongly encourage applications from members of all the Health Science Schools. This includes the Schools of Pharmacy, Nursing, Public Health and Community Medicine, Social Work, Dentistry, and Medicine. In addition, the program strongly encourages applications from individuals not yet affiliated with the University of Washington.

How is this program funded?

The NIH is placing increasing emphasis on training a new generation of researchers who are facile with many aspects of patient-oriented research. This program, and others like it, are being funded with the K12 mechanism. This represents an NIH Roadmap Initiative that is NIH-wide with support among all of its member institutes. Please refer to the NIH's announcement for more information.

One of my colleagues told me that the K12 is primarily for people working in the lab who want to do some clinical research. I'm a bit confused, since I wasn't planning on doing bench work anymore. Is his statement true?

We have designed the K12 program to be flexible to Scholars with a variety of interests. Please see the FAQ about the different tracks in the K12 Program. Scholars interested in the Translational Division may spend substantial time in the laboratory, but some research with human subjects is expected. Scholars in the Outcomes/Clinical Epidemiology Division will spend little to no time in the laboratory. We are trying to design a training system that is very flexible and will accommodate those with genuine interest in performing rigorous clinical research.

If a potential scholar is already studying under an existing K12, is he/she eligible for this program?

Yes. However, the cumulative length of time under NIH-sponsored K12 programs should be no more than 5 years. Since the minimum amount of time any one Scholar may spend in this Trans-NIH K12 program is two years, he/she may not have had more than three years of support under the previous K12 program. Furthermore, the applicant would need to justify additional mentored research training or training in a team context.

Are scholars under this program eligible to apply for individual K awards such as the K08 and K23?

Yes, but to apply for a K08 or a K23 application after being supported on this K12 would require a very strong justification to convince peer reviewers of the need for additional mentored training. CR scholars, after completing their training on the K12, would more likely be prepared to submit a K22, R-type or U-type grant application (e.g. R03, R21, R01, U01, etc.).

If I hold a K23 or K08, am I eligible for this RFA?

No. See the Eligible Scholars section of the RFA.

Can this program be combined with a clinical fellowship?

K12 funds cannot be used to support clinical fellowship training. However, fellows who have completed the part of their fellowship needed for sub specialty certification are eligible to apply. For example, although a Medical Oncology fellowship may last 3-4 years (or more), fellows who have completed 2 years may be eligible to sit for the boards, and are therefore eligible.

What career stage should potential CR Scholars be at?

CR Scholars must hold a doctoral level degree. We are seeking individuals at an early stage of their career, even while they are in subspecialty training. We expect that CR scholars will be postdoctoral level trainees or junior faculty who plat to conduct, or are conducting, clinical research. Some CR Scholars may be at the tenure-track/assistant professor level when they enter the program, but we hope most CR Scholars will be at a much earlier stage. We expect that CR Scholars will become assistant professor or tenure-track clinical research faculty either during or after they progress through the program

Are fellows eligible to apply to be scholars in this program?

Yes. We want to make it easy to access this program. We want to attract doctoral level clinical researchers even during subspecialty training e.g. during their research years.

I understand that prior recipients of a K08 or K23 are not eligible to apply for the K12. However, does receiving a K12 award make one ineligible to apply for a future K08 or K23?

The issue of applying for other K awards has been discussed at somelength with the NIH staff. They generally discourage going from a K12 to a K23, but it can be done. However, the total combined K award time can't exceed 5 years. So if you did 2 years of K12, they'd say you're only eligible for 3 years under a K23. Their intent is for Scholars to go from the K12 to apply for RO1 grants.