Career Development
T32 - Program Details
Candidates for either track should have a passion for clinical and translational research.
- Pre-doctoral candidates:
- Must be a US citizen, non-citizen national, or lawfully admitted permanent resident, consistent with NIH policy.
- Must be enrolled as doctoral or medical students.
- Must commit to full-time research training. Candidates in a clinical doctoral degree program (e.g., MD, PharmD, DDS, DNP, DPT) may interrupt their clinical studies for one or more years of full-time research training on the T32.
- Predoctoral students are generally appointed for a minimum of two years, with additional years granted on a competitive basis depending on progress, milestones, and demonstrated need for further training.
- Post-doctoral candidates:
- Must be a US citizen, non-citizen national, or lawfully admitted permanent resident, consistent with NIH policy.
- Must have completed a research doctorate (PhD, EdD, DrPH, DSW, etc.) or clinical doctorate (MD, PharmD, DNP, DHS, etc.) by the time of appointment, with no more than 2 years elapsed since receiving the terminal degree.
- Must be able to devote 100% of their time to research, confirmed by a letter from the candidate's Department Chair or Division Director protecting this time.
- Must not have served as principal investigator on an R01, subproject of a P01/P50, or K-series award.
- Postdoctoral fellows are generally appointed for two to three years, depending on successful progress, accomplishment of milestones, and demonstrated need for additional training.
Upon appointment, trainees meet with their mentoring team to develop an Individual Development Plan (IDP) using the ICRE's Customized Career Development Platform (CCDP), which tracks progress against the CTSA core competencies and the characteristics of a translational scientist.
Translational Science Skills Laboratory
A required, case-based course integrated into the Career Development Seminar and spread across a two-year cycle. Small groups of predoctoral T32 students, postdoctoral T32 fellows, and K12 Scholars work through modules built around a characteristic of a translational scientist (e.g., Domain Expert, Boundary Crosser, Team Player, Systems Thinker). CTSI core leaders co-lead sessions to connect each case to real institutional resources.
Coursework
Course requirements are tailored to each trainee's background. All trainees are strongly encouraged to take the ICRE Summer Core:
- Computer Methods in Clinical Research
- Clinical Research Methods
- Biostatistics
- Measurement in Clinical Research
To help cultivate a greater sense of fellowship and enhance engagement among our trainees, each of these ICRE Summer Core courses is held in-person.
We strongly recommend other courses during the program, such as:
- Medical Writing and Presentation Skills
- Strategic Leadership and Academic Medicine
- Advanced Grant Writing Parts I and II
- Leading and Managing Translational Science Teams (new)
Research and Mentoring
The central component of the program is the conduct of one or more mentored research projects spanning the translational spectrum (T1–T4), under the guidance of a multidisciplinary mentoring team. At the time of application, trainees propose a research project and describe how it aligns with the translational research spectrum; each trainee must lead their own original research rather than solely supporting a mentor's existing work.
Mentors are accomplished investigators in clinical and translational research at the professor or associate professor level with active federal funding and a track record of successful mentorship; assistant professors may co-mentor alongside a more senior mentor. Trainees will have, at minimum, weekly meetings with their primary mentor and monthly meetings with their full mentoring team, and they will present their research annually at a works-in-progress seminar.
Communication and Dissemination Experience and Career Coaching
Trainees gain experience communicating and disseminating research in peer-reviewed journals, to stakeholder groups, and to the public at large — a critical step in the translational process.
- Publication: Through coursework and writing group sessions (including a biweekly peer grant-writing group, “T Club”), trainees develop skills in writing and publishing journal articles and abstracts.
- Presentation Skills: Trainees deliver presentations periodically on their research and receive constructive feedback from the program directors and peers at the weekly Career Development Seminar.
Career development seminars conducted by professionals from across the university provide trainees with advice on promotion and tenure, commercialization, time management, reproducible research, and career coaching.
- Pre-Doctoral
The CTS T32 Predoctoral Program provides stipend support at current NIH NRSA predoctoral levels, tuition and fee support, and travel funds to attend scientific meetings. Additional limited support is available for research-related costs and, consistent with current NIH policy, childcare costs for eligible trainees.
- Post-Doctoral
The CTS T32 Postdoctoral Fellowship provides stipend support at NIH NRSA levels based on postgraduate year, tuition, and travel funds, and additional limited support for research-related and/or health insurance costs, as well as childcare costs for eligible trainees consistent with current NIH policy..
