Develop Your Career in the KL2 Program

Empty highway winding through the Eastern Oregon desert.

Our goal

The OCTRI KL2 Program is designed to support early-career faculty in their transition to research independence. The mission of this program is to identify and support promising faculty who may benefit from OCTRI support and resources in their efforts to obtain independent research funding.

Key activities and outcomes

Outcomes. 85% of 2017 to 2022 cohort have independent research funding. 94% of 2007 to 2016 cohort have R01 award or equivalent. Greater than 40% of scholars underrepresented minority or disability.

Key program activities include:

Individual development plan
Customized research curriculum
Scholar-led weekly Works in Progress
Quarterly benchmark assessments
Extramural grant development support
Priority support from OCTRI services
OCTRI Research Forum seminars
Monthly bulletin tailored to early career opportunities and resources
Small grant program for CTRC support

Program benefits

Recipients of the KL2 Program receive a two-year career development award to pursue their translational science. Awardees are given protected clinical and translational research training time, formal didactic and experiential training, intensive research experience, and multidisciplinary mentorship. Review additional benefits below.

Benefits

An individualized research and career development plan
Educational programs tailored to the scholar, including enrollment in the Human Investigations Program, which offers a Master of Clinical Research, certificate, and/or non-degree courses
Mentorship and support
Access to OCTRI resources, including regulatory/IRB and study start up, biostatistics, research design, community engagement, informatics, and services from the Clinical & Translational Research Center
KL2 and OCTRI Scholar community

Scholar support

Salary support not to exceed $100,000 annually
$30,000 research and travel expenses annually
0.75 FTE protected research time
Two years (total) of funding, contingent on progress and availability of funding

Eligibility

The OCTRI KL2 Program is open to researchers from OHSU and regional partners, including Portland State University, Oregon State University, and University of Oregon. Review additional criteria below.

Candidates must:

Be a U.S. Citizen or permanent resident of the U.S.
Hold a clinical or research doctorate (e.g. MD/DO, DMD/DDS, DNP, PharmD, ND, OD, DC or PhD)
Have primary, full-time faculty appointment at OHSU, PSU, OSU, or UO
Awardees must be at least ranked as an Assistant Professor (or equivalent) by the KL2 appointment start date
Not have prior funding as a principal investigator on an NIH research grant including an R01 or any K series grant

Proposed projects must:

Involve either clinical or translational research defined as involving human subjects or populations, or research that has direct application to human health
Involve research conducted domestically