# Professional Development Core

> **NIH NIH U54** · WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY · 2020 · $187,129

## Abstract

The Professional Development (PD) Core of the West Virginia Clinical & Translational Science Institute 
(WVCTSI) is designed to increase the number and quality of investigators, particularly clinician scientists, 
engaged in clinical and translational (C/T) research by providing opportunities that will build strong collaborations 
and promote investigator retention and success. The PD Core will develop programs that meet these goals by: 
1) enhancing research mentoring initiatives throughout the state with the development of trained research 
mentors, 2) expanding the opportunities available in WV to recruit clinicians and students into careers as C/T 
scientists, and 3) proving a statewide network of educational programs highlighting new methodologies and 
collaboration between investigators. Due to their critically important role in improving health, clinician scientists 
(e.g., DDS, DNP, DO, DPT, DVM, MD, MD/PhD, PharmD, and RN) are an important target audience of the PD 
core. The skills learned in the training and education offerings of the PD core will bring teams together comprised 
of community members, clinicians, and scientific collaborators to address the state's most vexing health 
problems. Furthermore, promoting involvement of C/T investigators in scientific teams increases the likelihood 
of their success and increases retention of clinician scientists who often struggle to meet requirements of both 
clinical practice and a research career. Building on our success during Years 1-5, this renewal application seeks 
to develop strategies to retain investigators with diverse expertise, providing opportunities that will build strong 
collaborations, and promote investigator success. These broad goals will be accomplished by execution of the 
following specific aims: 1) create the Scientific and Career Success (SACS) program to provide access to formal 
mentoring for C/T researchers of all career stages, 2) develop formal programs that serve as “on-ramps” to 
introduce C/T research to early or new investigators and trainees at different career stages, and 3) develop 
educational opportunities to support and retain externally-funded C/T researchers statewide. From Aim 1, SACS 
engages highly skilled mentors, trained using the National Research Mentoring Program approach and a defined 
timeline of activities to help investigators at all career stages to develop funded and productive research careers. 
Aim 2 addresses the need to continue to exploit novel “on-ramps” to encourage more clinical investigators to 
enter C/T research. Supporting both the SACS program and investigators new to C/T research, Aim 3 will 
provide targeted education programs for interested researchers.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10004065
- **Project number:** 5U54GM104942-05
- **Recipient organization:** WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Julie Lockman
- **Activity code:** U54 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $187,129
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** — → —

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10004065

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10004065, Professional Development Core (5U54GM104942-05). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10004065. Licensed CC0.

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