# Institutional Career Development Core

> **NIH NIH KL2** · UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA · 2022 · $913,750

## Abstract

Contact PD/PI: Buchanan, Thomas A Inst-Career-Dev-001 (724)
INSTITUTIONAL CAREER DEVELOPMENT
Project Summary/Abstract
The Southern California Clinical Translational Institute's Individual Career Development (ICD) Program
operates within the University of Southern California and Children's Hospital Los Angeles. We operate in the
heart of Los Angeles, where 85% of residents are from underrepresented minority groups, 20% live below the
federal poverty level, 30% are under 18 years old, and 57% of adults do not complete high school. The disease
burden is high and amplified by health disparities linked to poverty, crime, language barriers, and cultural
beliefs. Thus, we aim to: 1) develop leaders who conduct rigorous and reproducible clinical translational
research (CTR) that identifies and overcomes translational barriers to improve the health of diverse
populations, 2) empower Scholars to sustain CTR careers, and 3) increase Scholar diversity to more effectively
address our diverse communities' health needs. Based on these aims, we expand the ICD Institutional
Ecosystem with state-of-the-art Education and Mentor Resource Centers and Advisory and Faculty Boards
with strong educational CTR expertise and broader URM representation. We propose to train 4 new Scholars
per year for three years each through NIH, institutional, and departmental funds. The ICD Program builds on a
successful three-course series emphasizing CTR research methodology, rigor and reproducibility, team
science, communication skills, and research in diverse populations, combined with a comprehensive career
development program. Scholars enroll in a Master's or Certificate program in Clinical, Biomedical, and
Translational Investigations. New ICD training opportunities include healthcare delivery science, health data
science, precision medicine, and Quality by Design. A robust distance education platform is in place for
recording, archiving, and disseminating educational materials; it also supports Scholars in developing oral
communication skills and disseminating their research. Experiential opportunities include interactions with SC
CTSI core experts in, e.g., digital recruitment, community engagement, regulatory knowledge, community
mentors, and visiting scholar research presentations at other CTSA institutions. Scholars-Mentor teams use
Individual Development Plans to guide career progression throughout the program. Barriers to career
progression are identified and addressed through a novel Barriers Mitigation Board which informs scholars'
resilience for long-term career success. We have created robust tracking and evaluation processes that inform
and advance the program. Data show transformative and widespread institutional change due to ICD Scholars
and alumni transitioning to independent research careers with robust research funding, academic productivity,
and advancement. More broadly, we have contributed regionally and nationally to training and career
development in CTR by s...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10559468
- **Project number:** 2KL2TR001854-06A1
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
- **Principal Investigator:** Cecilia Maria Patino Sutton
- **Activity code:** KL2 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $913,750
- **Award type:** 2
- **Project period:** 2016-07-01 → 2027-03-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10559468

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10559468, Institutional Career Development Core (2KL2TR001854-06A1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-25 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10559468. Licensed CC0.

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