The Virtual CTSA Visiting Scholar Program to Support Early-Stage Clinical and Translational Researchers: Implementation and Outcomes

Affiliations

¹ M.A. Bredella is professor of radiology, vice chair, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, and director, KL2/Catalyst Medical Research Investigator Training Program, Harvard Catalyst, The Harvard Clinical and Translational Science Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts.
² D.M. Rubio is professor of medicine, biostatistics, bioinformatics, and clinical and translational science, assistant vice chancellor for clinical research education and training, Health Sciences, director, Institute for Clinical Research Education, and director, KL2, Team Science, and Workforce Development, Clinical and Translational Science Institute, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
³ J. Attia is health project coordinator, Center for Leading Innovation and Collaboration, Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, New York.
⁴ T.H. Kelly is Robert Straus Professor and chair, Department of Behavioral Science, College of Medicine, associate dean for research and PhD faculty affairs, College of Nursing, and director, KL2 and Workforce Development, Center for Clinical and Translational Science, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky.
⁵ S. McIntosh is associate professor and survey team faculty lead, Center for Leading Innovation and Collaboration, Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, New York.
⁶ E.A. Meagher is professor of medicine and pharmacology, director, Translational Research Education, Institute for Translational Medicine and Therapeutics, and vice dean, Clinical Research, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
⁷ S. Pusek is director, Education Programs, North Carolina TraCS Institute, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
⁸ M. Rubio is program director, National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland.
⁹ J. Tsevat is professor of medicine, Joaquin G. Cigarroa, Jr., MD, Distinguished Chair, director, ReACH Center, director, KL2 Program, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, and professor of population health, Dell Medical School, University of Texas at Austin, and Institute for the Integration of Medicine and Science, Center for Research to Advance Community Health, Department of Medicine, Joe R. and Teresa Lozano Long School of Medicine, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas.
¹⁰ J.G. Umans is KL2 program director, Georgetown-Howard Universities Center for Clinical and Translational Science, associate professor of medicine and of obstetrics and gynecology, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, scientific director, Biomarker, Biochemistry and Biorepository Core, and scientific director, Field Studies Division, MedStar Health Research Institute, Hyattsville, Maryland.

PMID: 35263302
PMCID: PMC10732303
DOI: 10.1097/ACM.0000000000004645

The Virtual CTSA Visiting Scholar Program to Support Early-Stage Clinical and Translational Researchers: Implementation and Outcomes

Miriam A Bredella et al. Acad Med. 2022.

. 2022 Sep 1;97(9):1311-1316.

doi: 10.1097/ACM.0000000000004645. Epub 2022 Mar 8.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ M.A. Bredella is professor of radiology, vice chair, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, and director, KL2/Catalyst Medical Research Investigator Training Program, Harvard Catalyst, The Harvard Clinical and Translational Science Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts.
² D.M. Rubio is professor of medicine, biostatistics, bioinformatics, and clinical and translational science, assistant vice chancellor for clinical research education and training, Health Sciences, director, Institute for Clinical Research Education, and director, KL2, Team Science, and Workforce Development, Clinical and Translational Science Institute, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
³ J. Attia is health project coordinator, Center for Leading Innovation and Collaboration, Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, New York.
⁴ T.H. Kelly is Robert Straus Professor and chair, Department of Behavioral Science, College of Medicine, associate dean for research and PhD faculty affairs, College of Nursing, and director, KL2 and Workforce Development, Center for Clinical and Translational Science, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky.
⁵ S. McIntosh is associate professor and survey team faculty lead, Center for Leading Innovation and Collaboration, Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, New York.
⁶ E.A. Meagher is professor of medicine and pharmacology, director, Translational Research Education, Institute for Translational Medicine and Therapeutics, and vice dean, Clinical Research, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
⁷ S. Pusek is director, Education Programs, North Carolina TraCS Institute, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
⁸ M. Rubio is program director, National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland.
⁹ J. Tsevat is professor of medicine, Joaquin G. Cigarroa, Jr., MD, Distinguished Chair, director, ReACH Center, director, KL2 Program, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, and professor of population health, Dell Medical School, University of Texas at Austin, and Institute for the Integration of Medicine and Science, Center for Research to Advance Community Health, Department of Medicine, Joe R. and Teresa Lozano Long School of Medicine, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas.
¹⁰ J.G. Umans is KL2 program director, Georgetown-Howard Universities Center for Clinical and Translational Science, associate professor of medicine and of obstetrics and gynecology, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, scientific director, Biomarker, Biochemistry and Biorepository Core, and scientific director, Field Studies Division, MedStar Health Research Institute, Hyattsville, Maryland.

PMID: 35263302
PMCID: PMC10732303
DOI: 10.1097/ACM.0000000000004645

Abstract

In addition to restrictions on conducting research, COVID-19-related travel bans and scientific meeting cancellations have negatively affected scholars in the Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA) Mentored Career Development Award (KL2) program. In response, a national virtual visiting scholar program was developed to provide opportunity for KL2 scholars to be virtual visiting professors at another CTSA hub, meet faculty and scholars, and expand networks and build collaborations. This article describes the design and short-term outcomes of the virtual CTSA Visiting Scholar Program. In 2020, a working group designed core program elements and developed an application and selection process. Anonymized surveys were sent to scholars post visit and to scholars and program directors 6 months post visit to evaluate their experience and solicit suggestions for improvements. Between November 2020 and May 2021, 56 KL2 scholars and 27 hubs participated. Forty-five (80.4%) participating scholars responded to the initial survey. Nearly all scholars (44, 97.7%) agreed their experience was valuable. All respondents indicated they would recommend the program to other KL2 scholars. For the 6-month survey, the response rate was 87.5% (49/56). Within 6 months of their visit, 36 (73.5%) respondents had contacted at least one person at the host hub and for 17 (34.7%) respondents, new collaborations with the host hub ensued. Twenty-five of 27 (92.6%) host hubs responded to the survey. Most (21, 84.0%) agreed that hearing visiting scholar talks was valuable to their own scholars and 23 (92%) indicated likelihood of their hub participating in future round of the program. The virtual Visiting Scholar Program provided KL2 scholars an opportunity to virtually visit another CTSA hub, present their research, and meet with faculty and other scholars to expand their networks. Although geared to KL2 scholars, this model is potentially generalizable to other nationally coordinated career development programs.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

1. Achakulvisut T, Ruangrong T, Bilgin I, et al. Improving on legacy conferences by moving online. Elife. 2020;9. - PMC - PubMed
1. Alrawashdeh HM, Al-Tammemi AB, Alzawahreh MK, et al. Occupational burnout and job satisfaction among physicians in times of COVID-19 crisis: A convergent parallel mixed-method study. BMC Public Health. 2021;21:811. - PMC - PubMed
1. McCormack WT, Bredella MA, Ingbar DH, et al. Immediate impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on CTSA TL1 and KL2 training and career development. J Clin Transl Sci. 2020;4:556–561. - PMC - PubMed
1. Pendharkar SR, Minty E, Shukalek CB, et al. Description of a multi-faceted COVID-19 pandemic physician workforce plan at a multi-site academic health system. J Gen Intern Med. 2021;36:1310–1318. - PMC - PubMed
1. Meyers FJ, Begg MD, Fleming M, Merchant C. Strengthening the career development of clinical translational scientist trainees: A consensus statement of the Clinical Translational Science Award (CTSA) Research Education and Career Development Committees. Clin Transl Sci. 2012;5:132–137. - PMC - PubMed

MeSH terms

Actions
Actions
Actions
Actions
Actions
Actions

Grants and funding

LinkOut - more resources

Full Text Sources
Medical
- MedlinePlus Health Information
Miscellaneous
- NCI CPTAC Assay Portal

Save citation to file

Email citation

Add to Collections

Add to My Bibliography

Your saved search

Create a file for external citation management software

Your RSS Feed

The Virtual CTSA Visiting Scholar Program to Support Early-Stage Clinical and Translational Researchers: Implementation and Outcomes

Affiliations

The Virtual CTSA Visiting Scholar Program to Support Early-Stage Clinical and Translational Researchers: Implementation and Outcomes

Authors

Affiliations

Abstract

References

MeSH terms

Grants and funding

LinkOut - more resources

Full Text Sources

Medical

Miscellaneous