The goals of the K Award Program are:
- To train a new generation of diverse investigators who will lead translational, interdisciplinary research to improve the health of the population, with special focus on the health of historically marginalized communities in the Bronx, Westchester and the Hudson Valley.
- To facilitate junior translational investigators conducting high quality translational science by providing intensive interdisciplinary mentoring, workshops and critical appraisal of research, and supporting both research and Scholars’ wellness.
CTSA K Grant Awards
CTSA K awards provide up to 3 years of support for mentored research career development to investigators who have recently completed professional training and who are commencing translational and/or clinical research.
Fast Facts:
- Career Development Awards (CDAs) are sponsored by a Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA) from the NIH and the Montefiore Einstein Institute for Clinical and Translational Research.
- We encourage applications from investigators from backgrounds that are under-represented in Medicine and Science.
- Awards include salary support for the Scholar plus additional funding for research training and research related expenses.
- Scholars must be supervised by a primary mentor, who should be willing to devote significant effort to mentoring activities during the period of this award, and a designated co-mentor. Co-mentors should be from different disciplines, but at least one should have a patient-oriented focus.
- Many Scholars will participate in Einstein’s Clinical Research Training Program (CRTP), a CTSA-funded curriculum in clinical research methods leading to the M.S. degree, or similar didactic training.
Informational Zoom Webinar
The Co-Directors of the program, Dr. Michal Melamed and Dr. Paul Marantz, will hold an Informational Zoom Webinar on November 13th from 5:00-6:00 pm. Click here to register for the webinar.
Applying for a Mentored Career Development Award
Qualified candidates are encouraged to submit an application for a Mentored Career Development Award.
- Applicants must have a research or health-professional doctoral degree or its equivalent, and be able to commit a minimum of 9 calendar months (75%) of full-time professional effort for career development and research associated with the program. Surgical specialties can have less than 75% of full-time professional effort), but no less than 50%, protected time for this program, if sufficiently justified and programmatically approved.
The remaining 3 calendar months’ (25%) effort can be divided among other research, clinical and teaching activities only if these activities are consistent with the proposed goals of the K12 program.
Funding Priorities
While the NIH/CTSA-supported Einstein-Montefiore ICTR and all the programs it supports (including this career development program) are non-categorical and “disease agnostic,” based on our institutional strengths and priorities we have identified the following research priority areas:
- BRAIN SCIENCES (which includes investigations within the disciplines of neuroscience, neurology, neurosurgery, psychiatry, and the behavioral sciences); and
- HEALTH EQUITY
Tips for Applying for a Career Development Award
- Read the funding announcement carefully
- Start early (allow yourself at least 8 weeks to put together the application)
- Discuss with your mentor (if you don’t have a mentor, you can contact the Program Directors of the K Program for help)
- Identify a co-mentor with complementary expertise to your mentor (you can contact the Program Directors of the K Program for help)
- Write a Career Development Plan (can include formal coursework, intensive mentorship, Clinical Research Training Program, etc)
- Write a Research Plan (get input on research proposal from mentors and other trusted advisors)
- Schedule a meeting with the K Program Directors (Drs. Marantz and Melamed) if you have questions
LETTER OF INTENT
If you are planning on submitting an application, please submit a non-binding letter of intent through our portal by December 4, 2023. These letters will allow the K12 leadership to start planning review panels. We also encourage applicants to meet with K12 program leadership about their applications after submitting the letter of intent. The letter of intent should include the following information:
- name,
- email,
- doctoral degrees,
- your current department and position in that department,
- the names and specialties of your primary mentor and co-mentor(s),
- name of your department administrator responsible for your financials,
- a working title for your proposed project,
- two or three sentences describing your anticipated research proposal
- two or three sentences describing your anticipated career development activities
Applicants may apply to the K12 program without submitting a letter of intent.
Application information contact Nancy Marte at Nancy.Marte@einsteinmed.edu.
Current K12 Scholars:
Past K12 Scholars Spotlight
Spotlight on Success:
![Tanya S. Johns, M.D.]()
Tanya S. Johns, M.D.
Dr. Tanya Johns, a nephrologist, was supported on the K12 from 2017-2020. She completed Internal Medicine training at NY Presbyterian/ Cornell where she was Assistant Chief Resident and graduated from the Johns Hopkins Nephrology Fellowship with a Masters in Health Sciences. Her over-arching research goal is to increase health equity and improve outcomes for all patients with kidney disease. Her K12 project focused on Interdisciplinary Care in racial and ethnic minorities as a way to better prepare for end-stage kidney disease. She currently has a K23 award from NIDDK focused on diet related inflammation and kidney function decline in racial/ ethnic minorities.
Read the Paper
![Sofiya Milman, M.D., M.S.]()
Sofiya Milman, M.D., M.S.
The K12 Program was instrumental in my career development. It provided me with protected time to advance my research program and skills, which ultimately led to K23 funding and an independent career in research. Moreover, the career mentorship that I received during that time continues to benefit me to this day.
Leadership