KL2 mentored career development programs at clinical and translational science award hubs: Practices and outcomes

Abstract

Introduction: NIH Clinical and Translational Science Awards (CTSAs) include KL2 mentored career development awards for faculty commencing clinical and translational research. A survey of KL2 leaders revealed program practices, curricular elements and compelling data about scholar characteristics and outcomes.

Methods: We conducted a literature review, framed the survey construct, and obtained input from across the CTSA consortium. A REDCap survey was emailed in fall 2016 to 61 active programs.

Results: Fifty-five programs (90.2%) responded. Respondents had been funded from 3 to 11 years, including 22 "mature" hubs funded for ≥8 years. Program cohort sizes were 56% "small", 22% "medium", and 22% "large." Hubs offer extensive competency-aligned training opportunities relevant to clinical and translational research, including graduate degrees, mentorship, and grant-writing. Seventy-two percent of hubs report parallel "KL2-equivalent" career development programs. All hubs share their training and facilitate intermingling with other early stage investigators. A total of 1,517 KL2 scholars were funded. KL2 awardees are diverse in their disciplines, research projects, and representation; 54% are female and 12% self-identified as underrepresented in biomedical research. Eighty-seven percent of scholars have 2-3 mentors and are currently supported for 2-3 years. Seventy-eight percent of alumni remain at CTSA institutions in translational science. The most common form of NIH support following scholars' KL2 award is an individual career development award.

Conclusions: The KL2 is a unique career development award, shaped by competency-aligned training opportunities and interdisciplinary mentorship that inform translational research pathways. Tracking both traditional and novel outcomes of KL2 scholars is essential to capture their career trajectories and impact on health.

Keywords: Mentored career development; clinical and translational research workforce; clinical and translational science awards; survey outcomes; training curriculum.

Fig. 1.

Number of Institutions with Eligibility, Applications, and Awards by Unit (n = 55). Bar chart showing the extent to which potential KL2 scholars from various units (e.g., medicine, nursing, engineering, etc.) across the 55 reporting hubs are eligible for, have applied for, and have been awarded KL2 scholarships.

Fig. 2.

Project- and Applicant-Focused KL2 Selection Criteria. Bar chart showing the importance of various criteria beyond traditional National Institutes of Health criteria in determining which KL2 applicants and related research projects are selected for KL2 awards.

Fig. 3.

Maximum Number of Years of CTSA-Support for KL2 Scholars (Past and Current). Bar chart showing the percent of hubs reporting that their KL2 scholars receive 2, 3, 4, 5, and 5+ years of KL2 support from the Clinical and Translational Science Award program in the past and currently.

Fig. 4.

Transitions to Career Development and R01 Awards (hub reported). Box chart indicating the percent of KL2 scholars that transitioned immediately and within 1 year of program completion to subsequent career development awards and R01s or equivalents.

Fig. 5.

KL2 Graduates’ Percent Research Effort since Program Completion. Bar chart indicating the percent of scholars who have 0%, <30%, >30% research effort or % effort unknown, both ≤3 years and >3 years following program completion.

Fig. 6.

Percent of Scholars Awarded Extramural Funding as PI During and After KL2 Program by Funding Source (hub reported). (a) Box chart indicating the percent of scholars as reported by hubs who received extramural funding as a PI, both during and after program completion by the source of funding. Scholars received additional support during the KL2 from the National Institutes of Health (median of 20%); other federal, for example, Veteran’s Administration, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, National Science Foundation (median of 4%); foundation, for example, American Heart Association, American Cancer Society, Robert Wood Johnson, Doris Duke (median of 24%); and commercial (median of 8%). Scholars received support within 1 year of KL2 from the National Institutes of Health (median of 27%), other federal (median of 6%), foundation (median of 12%), and commercial (median of 7%). (b) Percent of Scholars Awarded Extramural Funding as PI During and After KL2 Program by Funding Mechanism (hub reported). Box chart indicating the percent of scholars as reported by hubs who received extramural funding as a PI, both during and after program completion by the mechanism of funding. Scholars received additional support during the KL2 through a major research project grant, for example, R01, Program Project Grant, Veterans Administration Merit, or equivalent (median of 6%); other research project grant, for example, R03, R21, or equivalent (median of 10%); career development award, for example, federal or foundation (median of 21%), and cooperative agreement and contracts (median of 3%). Scholars received support within 1 year of KL2 through a major research project grant (median of 12%), other research project grant (median of 13%), career development award (median of 16%), and cooperative agreement and contracts (median of 2%).

Fig. 7.

Percent of Scholars Awarded Extramural Funding as PI During and After KL2 Program by Funding Source (at Mature Hubs). (a) Box chart showing the percent of scholars as reported by mature hubs (i.e., operational for ≥8 years) who received extramural funding as Principal Investigator, both during and after program completion by the source of funding. Scholars received additional support during the KL2 from the National Institutes of Health (median of 21%); other federal, for example, Veterans Administration, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, National Science Foundation (median of 5%); foundation, for example, American Heart Association, American Cancer Society, Robert Wood Johnson, Doris Duke (median of 23%); and commercial (median of 9%). Scholars received support within 1 year of KL2 completion from the National Institutes of Health (median of 27%), other federal (median of 5%), foundation (median of 10%), and commercial (median of 9%). Within 5 years of program completion, scholars received support from the National Institutes of Health (median of 38%), other federal (median of 9%), foundation (median of 21%), and commercial (median of 13%). (b) Percent of Scholars Awarded Extramural Funding as PI During and After KL2 Program by Funding Mechanism (at Mature Hubs). Box chart indicating the percent of scholars as reported by mature hubs (i.e., operational for ≥8 years) who received extramural funding as Principal Investigator, both during and after program completion by the mechanism of funding. Scholars received additional support during the KL2 through a major research project grant, for example, R01, Program Project Grant, Veterans Administration Merit, or equivalent (median of 6%), other research project grant, for example, R03, R21, or equivalent (median of 10%), career development award, for example, federal or foundation (median of 22%), and cooperative agreement and contracts (median of 4%). Scholars received support within 1 year of KL2 completion through a major research project grant (median of 13%), other research project grant (median of 12%), career development award (median of 27%), and cooperative agreement (median of 5%). Within 5 years of program completion, scholars received support through a major research project grant (median of 19%) other research project grant (median of 15%), career development award (median of 15%), and cooperative agreement (median of 4%).