The goal of the New Jersey Alliance for Clinical and Translational Science (NJ ACTS) Institutional Career Development Award (KL2) is to expand the future pool of well-trained and productive investigators in the biomedical sciences with a focus on clinical and translational research. Agnostic to terminal degree, the NJ ACTS KL2 will provide a tailored approach for each Scholar that comprises intensive research experiences, a core curriculum and elective courses, and extensive mentoring to develop a cadre of translational Scholars who combine an understanding of the mechanistic approaches to study the disease and disease processes with the tools and methodologies used in translating basic observations to the clinic and to public policy. NJ ACTS, an Alliance of Rutgers University, Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences (which includes 8 health related schools), Princeton University and the New Jersey Institute of Technology, constitute an environment rich with research resources and experienced mentors, each with a history of post-doctoral training and faculty career development and a commitment to fostering the career development of future clinical and translational researchers. Scholars, who will be junior faculty, promoted from within NJ ACTS universities or recruited externally, will constitute a Society of Scholars with other young faculty. Selection will be based not only on the individual's qualifications and interests, but also on his/her potential and commitment to developing a career in the translational sciences. In this revised application, the career development program consists of two years of individualized and intensive research under the direction of the most qualified and productive mentors. Scholars will participate in an innovative didactic curriculum consisting of research seminars, journal club, and formal courses. The mentoring program is structured to provide the scholar with a strong, broad and fundamental knowledge base that is then individually tailored for translational research. Scholars will be trained in the ethical conduct of research, will have well defined milestones for accomplishing scientific goals, and will have regular meetings with Mentors, the Executive Committee and leaders in the relevant academic community. The committed resources and programs to enrich faculty development underscore the continued institutional commitment to translational research. Anticipated outcomes include excellence in career development, and understanding and coherently articulating science in the form of grant proposals, research that matters to human health, and competency in manuscript writing. With these elements, we commit to nurturing a cadre of junior faculty that will discover and expand scientific knowledge and become future leaders in the field of translational research.
