Full Applications Due: UCLA CTSI KL2 Career Development Award for Dental Research
Deadline: July 15, 2022 05:00 PM

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This is an internal competition to select up to two candidates for final submission of administrative supplements to NIDCR.

Important Dates (subject to change)

CTSI letter of intent deadline	June 15, 2022 by 5:00 PM
CTSI full application deadline	July 15, 2022 by 5:00 PM
Decision notifications to applicants	Mid-August 2022
Selected candidates: proposal enhancement and other supplement application components	Mid-August to August 24, 2022
CTSI administrative grant review deadline	August 25, 2022
NIH deadline	September 15, 2022
Expected grant start date	June 1, 2023

 

National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR) Supplements to the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS) KL2 Program
The UCLA CTSI KL2 Program seeks up to two highly qualified junior faculty from one of the four partnered institutions (UCLA, Cedars-Sinai, Charles R. Drew University, and The Lundquist Institute at Harbor-UCLA) to conduct rigorous clinical and translational research aimed at improving dental, oral, and craniofacial health.

The goal of this NIDCR KL2 administrative supplement program is to engage the participation of scholars pursuing clinical and translational research training to improve dental, oral, and craniofacial health. For this KL2 supplement program, scholars must be pursuing clinical and translational research in dental, oral, or craniofacial science that aligns with NIDCR extramural grant programs.  

NIDCR KL2 Supplement Award
This award will be contingent on the successful competition of the NIDCR administrative supplement to the NCATS KL2 Program.   If funded, NIDCR KL2 supplement awardees will receive up to 3 years of funding or until receipt of an individual NIH K award (or equivalent grant from the Veterans Administration or foundation), whichever comes first.  The award is renewable for up to a total of 3 years.  Continued KL2 support in years 2 and 3 will be contingent the awardee’s performance during the prior year(s).  The following table lists the maximum allowable amounts per year:

NIDCR KL2 Scholar Salary (75% effort)	$75,000
NIDCR KL2 Scholar Fringe Benefits (UCLA CBR at 32%)	$24,000
Research Expenses (UCLA applicants include Technology Infrastructure Fee) Career Development/Tuition Travel to research meetings, workshops Statistical Services	$31,000
Mentor Support for laboratory or other research-related expenses. Salary support for mentors is not an allowable budget item	$10,000
DIRECT COSTS/YEAR	$140,000
F&A (Indirect Costs) at 8%	$11,200
TOTAL COSTS/YEAR	$151,200

   
   
Eligibility Criteria

• Possess a doctoral dental degree (DDS, DMD or dual degree DDS/DMD and PhD or equivalent degrees).
• Have a full-time junior faculty appointment at one of the four UCLA CTSI partnered institutions in any series at or above the clinical instructor level by the grant start date.
• Be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident at time of application. Individuals on temporary or student visas are not eligible.
• Commit a minimum of 9-person months (75% of full-time professional effort) to conduct dental, oral or craniofacial translational research.  The remaining effort may be devoted to clinical, teaching, or other research pursuits and activities consistent with the objectives of the KL2 research career development program.
• Current and former PDs/PIs on NIH research project (R01), program project (P01), center grants (P50), individual career development awards (e.g., K01, K08, K22, K23, K25, K99/R00), or Project Leads of program project (P01) or center grant (P50) sub-projects, or the equivalent are not eligible.
• Current and former PDs/PIs of an NIH Small Grant (R03), Exploratory/Developmental Grant (R21), Planning Grant (R34/U34), or SBIR/STTR (R41, R42, R43, R44) remain eligible.
• Former PD/PIs on NIH research project (R01), program project (P01), center grants, FIRST Awards (R29), sub-projects of program project (P01) or center grants are not eligible. Former PD/PIs on NIH career development awards (K–awards), or the equivalent, are not eligible, EXCEPT for Dentists who were awarded an NIDCR K08 to support dissertation research that resulted in a PhD, who remain eligible for KL2 support. Former PDs/PIs of an NIH Small Grant (R03), Exploratory/Developmental Grant (R21), Dissertation Award (R36), or SBIR/STTR (R41, R42, R43, R44) remain eligible.
• May not have pending an application for any other PHS mentored career development award (e.g., K08, K23) that duplicates any of the provisions of the KL2 administrative supplement.

UCLA CTSI Letter of Intent & Full Application Submission Information

• Letters of Intent will be accepted through 5:00PM PT on June 15, 2022.  These letters are optional. However, applicants are strongly encouraged to submit a Letter of Intent to help the CTSI identify the best reviewers and enhance the review process of the application.
• Full Applications are due by 5:00PM PT on July 15, 2022.
• The links to the submission website for the Letter of Intent and Full Application will be available at: http://www.ctsi.ucla.edu/education/pages/kprogram and see “Request for Applications (RFA)” tab.

The Letter of Intent must include:

• The specific areas of expertise that are needed to review the proposal.
• NIH-formatted Biosketch of the scholar (see NOT-OD-21-073 / NOT-OD-21-110 for recent changes and details).
• Specific aims for the proposed project (1 page maximum).
• List of mentors for the proposed research career development plan.
• Applicants will be asked to complete NIH Clinical Trials Decision Questions. Depending on the type of study, selected candidates will need to complete the required sections of PHS Human Subjects and Clinical Trials Information form for final submission to NIDCR.

To be considered, the Full Application packet must include the items below. General instructions can also be found in the NIH Application Guide. Please write your application in third person.

1. Project Summary/Abstract (30 lines of text maximum)

2. NIDCR KL2 Scholar NIH-formatted Biosketch (see NOT-OD-21-073 / NOT-OD-21-110 for new format changes and details).  The personal statement of the candidate’s biographical sketch should include a description of his/her research objectives and career goals, and why their experience and qualifications make them particularly well-suited to receive an NIDCR KL2 supplement award. Relevant factors include previous training and research accomplishments in dental, oral, and craniofacial research and any source(s) of current research funding. The description should include a description of how the supplement will further the candidate’s career goals.

3. NIDCR KL2 Scholar NIH-formatted Other Support Pages (old format) with current, past and pending grants.  Please see the NIH policy concerning concurrent support from a K award and a research grant.

4. Program Plan (10 pages maximum) to include the following:

o    Program Faculty (3 pages maximum): Provide information about the program faculty who will be involved in the supplement activities, including their complementary expertise and experiences, active research and other scholarly activities in which the faculty are engaged, as well as experience mentoring individuals at the proposed career stage. If any co-mentor is not located at the sponsoring institution, describe the frequency and type of communication that will be used to engage the scholar.
o    Proposed Research Career Development Plan (5 pages maximum): Format for this career development plan should include an educational/training plan and research plan similar to a traditional NIH career development award proposal.

• The proposed research career development plan must align with the NIDCR’s research mission and the KL2 program. Scholars must pursue clinical and translational research in dental, oral, or craniofacial science. The research experience should challenge the scholar's scientific curiosity while introducing a creative, novel, and clinically significant approach to dental, oral, or craniofacial research. The research supported is intended to enhance the scholar's transition to an independent research career as a PI or as an investigator providing expertise in a collaborative team science approach. The research plan should augment the scholar's research development and be individualized to their scientific discipline and expertise. Describe key activities during the supplement, including mentored team science activities, didactic coursework, and technical training to enhance skills and proficiency in conducting translational research. Describe how these experiences will build the candidate’s expertise in rigorous research design, experimental methods, quantitative approaches, and data analysis and interpretation, if applicable. Address the candidate's prior clinical training in dental, oral, or craniofacial disease and describe how it will be incorporated into the research career development plan. Describe the candidate’s contribution to the proposed research. Provide a detailed timeline of activities and benchmarks of success or goals to be achieved over the duration of support.

• This program is intended to provide a foundation for subsequent grant applications and support for continued research career development, or for independent research funding from NIDCR/NIH or other sources. Scholars must include plans to apply for individual mentored K awards (e.g., K08, K23) or independent research grants (R03, R21, R01) or other sources of independent support before their KL2 supplement period ends. Include a timeline for activities and potential publications and grant applications for independent research support.

• Describe the mentoring and supervision from the primary and co-mentor(s) that will occur during the award period and a plan for monitoring the candidate's progress. Clearly state how the candidate’s project is, or will lead to, a research project independent of the parent grant and the PI’s research area.

o    Candidate’s Personal Statement (2 pages maximum): Describe prior research experiences and accomplishments, short- and long-term research objectives and career goals, including plans for submission of an independent K, R, or other type of NIDCR independent award to support dental, oral, and craniofacial research and how the supplement research experience will contribute to these goals.
o    Institutional Environment and Commitment to Training (1 page maximum): Include a signed letter, on institutional letterhead, that describes the applicant institution’s commitment to the planned KL2 supplement program. The letter should provide assurance that the scholar will be able to devote a minimum of 9 person-months (75% of full-time professional effort) to their KL2 research career development program. The remaining effort should be devoted to activities related to the development of the scholar’s career as an independent investigator or clinician-scientist, e.g., clinic responsibilities, teaching and administration, and/or additional research activities.

5. Training in the Responsible Conduct of Research (1 page maximum): Describe plans for obtaining or providing instruction in RCR. This section should document prior instruction or participation in RCR training during the scholar’s current career stage (including the date instruction was last completed). This section should also propose plans to either receive instruction or provide instruction (e.g., to participate as a course lecturer) to meet the frequency requirement of RCR training.

6. Letters of Support from the Primary Mentor and Co-mentors(s) (6 pages maximum): Appropriate letters of support should be provided from all individuals confirming their roles in the proposed supplement program. Primary and co-mentor(s) should include a statement of commitment to provide appropriate guidance and supervision of the candidate's research experience that supports an independent research career trajectory.
7. Letters of Support from Collaborators, Contributors, and Consultants (6 pages maximum): Attach appropriate letters from all individuals confirming their roles in the proposed KL2 supplement program.
8. Mentoring Team NIH-formatted Biosketches of each of the individuals who will comprise the scholar’s mentoring team (see NOT-OD-21-073 / NOT-OD-21-110 for new format changes and details).  The personal statements of the individuals who will serve as mentors or are on the scholar's mentoring team should include a description of their specific role in mentoring the scholar.
9. NIH-formatted Detailed Budget and Budget Justification for each year of the three years of support.  Please use a separate Form Page 4 for the detailed budget for each year.
10. Protection of Human Subjects: Complete this section if the scholar will design and conduct their own independent human subjects research and indicate that the proposed research experience was approved by the human subjects Institutional Review Board (IRB) at the grantee institution. If available, also include a copy of the IRB approval notice.
11. Vertebrate Animals: Complete this section if the scholar will design and conduct their own independent vertebrate animal research and indicate that the proposed research experience was approved by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) at the grantee institution.  If available, also include a copy of the IACUC approval notice.
12. Facilities and Other Resources: Describe how the scientific environment in which the career development activities will be done contributes to the probability of the scholar’s success (e.g., institutional support, physical resources, and intellectual rapport).
13. Bibliography & References Cited
14. Appendix (optional).
15. Applicants will be asked to complete NIH Clinical Trials Decision Questions. Depending on the type of study, selected candidates will need to complete the required sections of PHS Human Subjects and Clinical Trials Information form for final submission to NIDCR.

NIH Fonts and Margins Tips

• Use an Arial, Helvetica, Palatino Linotype, or Georgia typeface, a black font color, and a font size of 11 points or larger. (A Symbol font may be used to insert Greek letters or special characters; the font size requirement still applies.)

• Type density, including characters and spaces, must be no more than 15 characters per inch. Type may be no more than six lines per inch. Use standard paper size (8 ½" x 11"). Use at least one-half inch margins (top, bottom, left, and right) for all pages. No information should appear in the margins.

Proposal enhancement: Selected KL2 applications will be discussed with the UCLA CTSI KL2 program director, Dr. Mitchell Wong, in early August based on the review critiques aiming to enhance the competitiveness of the supplement application to NIDCR.

Questions about the RFA can be directed to the KL2 Program at CTSIWD@mednet.ucla.edu.