The KL2 Mentored Career Development Program contains both didactic and practical research (practicum) phases designed to develop the necessary knowledge and research skills in scientific areas relevant to your career goals.
As a part of the application process, you will identify an investigator at Mayo Clinic with extensive clinical research experience who is willing to serve as your mentor. You will propose a period of study and career development consistent with your previous research and clinical experience to ensure your progression to independence as a researcher.
During the didactic phase, you must complete a postdoctoral Master's degree in Clinical and Translational Science tailored to meet the needs of your specific research and career development plan. (If you have already completed an equivalent Master’s degree, such as an M.P.H., your didactic phase will include graduate-level coursework that complements your career development plan.) This didactic phase will ensure that you gain the skills and knowledge necessary to carry out high-quality, patient-oriented research. You and your mentor are jointly responsible for preparation of the program plan.
Together with your mentor, you will form an advisory committee to assist with the development of a program of study and to monitor your progress through your career development program. The didactic and practical research components of both phases must develop new knowledge and research skills in scientific areas relevant to your career goals. The goal of the research practicum will be to contribute new knowledge to the scientific field and provide data leading to the next step in your career plan.
KL2 scholars are required to earn a postdoctoral Master’s degree in Clinical and Translational Science (or equivalent). Scholars entering the program without an equivalent degree (such as an M.P.H. or a Master’s in Clinical Research) must enroll in and complete the 24-credit Masters in Clinical and Translational Science. Scholars who enter the program with their Master’s already completed will work with their mentor and CTSA staff to choose appropriate graduate-level clinical research coursework to complement their career development plan.
The practicum phase must last a minimum of one year and will include the development and implementation of a new research project under the guidance of your mentor. You may also participate in ongoing projects conducted by the mentor. The goal of the research project is to acquire the preliminary data for the submission of an R01-level grant to the appropriate funding source determined by you and your mentor.
While the focus of the career development program is on the conduct of patient-oriented research, there can be complementary laboratory research if it is directly related to the patient-oriented research proposed in your application.