# UIC K12 Independent Clinical Vision Scientist Development Program

> **NIH NIH K12** · UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS AT CHICAGO · 2020 · $513,746

## Abstract

Abstract: This is a competitive renewal application for the UIC K12/Independent Clinician
Vision Scientist (ICVS) Development Program. The success of this program is indicated by its
recruitment of high caliber clinician scientists into the program and their progress towards an
independent research career as measured by their achievement in securing external funding.
From 20 highly-qualified applicants, 8 were accepted into the program and they have had a
high success rate for securing NEI external funding.
The proposed program takes a needs-assessment approach to identify the barriers to
achieving independence that confronts clinicians who have demonstrated the skills needed to
become independent clinician scientists and designs a K12 training program to address those
needs. The program recognizes that immersion in research under the guidance of excellent
mentors is a key ingredient for investigator transition to independence. Therefore, the
Department proposes the K-12 curriculum for mentoring scholars who have demonstrated
readiness to be immersed in a research project. UIC K12/Independent Clinician Vision
Scientist (ICVS) Development Program aims to provide an academically-rich and supportive
environment to enable qualified early-stage clinician vision scientists to engage in a structured
and mentored learning experience that will facilitate career advancement and enable trainees
to become independent scientists. The program has two goals: Goal I is to promote a public
university-public health agency partnership to train independent clinician vision scientists
(ICVS); Goal II is to provide scientific development, authentic mentorship and professional
development of the UIC K12/ICVS scholars and ensure their transition to independence.
Achievement of these goals will enable UIC K12/ICVS Development Program scholars to
transition to independence become national leaders in vision health research, and to become
the educators, mentors, and role models for a new generation of vision health researchers.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9942435
- **Project number:** 5K12EY021475-08
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS AT CHICAGO
- **Principal Investigator:** Mark I Rosenblatt
- **Activity code:** K12 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $513,746
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2011-09-01 → 2023-03-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9942435

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9942435, UIC K12 Independent Clinical Vision Scientist Development Program (5K12EY021475-08). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9942435. Licensed CC0.

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