# The Wilmer Institute Mentored Clinician Scientist Scholar Program

> **NIH NIH K12** · JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY · 2020 · $398,310

## Abstract

Project Summary/Abstract
 In its renewal application resubmission, the Wilmer K12 Program seeks to continue its successful
recruitment and development of new investigators in highly relevant areas of clinical and laboratory vision
research. Our past track record indicates success in mentored training of young scientists who enter full-time
academic research careers and compete effectively for individual and collaborative grant support. Due to our
reputation for clinician—scientist training and the diversity of major research areas in vision science that are
available to scholars, we have every year attracted multiple highly attractive candidates for the Wilmer K12
program. Our structured program still leaves considerable flexibility to take advantage of multiple—mentor
groups for training in a combination of didactic and practical activities. The existence of a Departmental
executive committee for ongoing oversight of every K awardee (K12, K08 and K23) assures that each scholar
will be given updated review of their program and correction of areas that are not functioning ideally. Specific
timelines and guidelines for following of each K scholar program are strictly enforced. Our progress report
shows that the progression to independent research careers and R level funding for Wilmer K12 graduates is
far above the national standard as published. As shown by the faculty involvement of over 50 scientists, many
of whom were K awardees themselves, the institutional expertise and commitment to this program is a high
priority of the Wilmer Institute. The combined 275 research grants of the K12 participating faculty comprises a
total direct cost this year of over $35 million. This ensures that adequate funding is available to support the
costs of mentored training that are not covered by the K awards themselves. Wilmer has produced more full
time academics and Department Chairpersons than any other eye institute or department in the U.S.
Furthermore, nearly every K12/K08/K23 scholar at Wilmer benefits from a mentor team than includes not only
Ophthalmology faculty, but scientists from other departments at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Johns
Hopkins University, the Applied Physics Laboratory, and the Bloomberg School of Public Health. These
collaborations cross-fertilize both scholar training and the research environment of the Institute, and have
included members of Departments such as Neuroscience, Medicine, Biomedical Engineering, Epidemiology,
International Health, and Pediatrics. The Executive Committee is vigilant to assure that the mentors and
mentees are both fulfilling their roles, with written evaluations at regular intervals. The Executive (Advisory)
committee consists of experienced and diverse vision scientists, some of whom recently were in K training and
others who have over many years mentored multiple K scholars. The Program Director, Dr. Quigley, has
mentored over 50 clinician—scientists, including Department Chairs and Division ...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9969435
- **Project number:** 5K12EY015025-14
- **Recipient organization:** JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Harry Alan Quigley
- **Activity code:** K12 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $398,310
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2003-05-01 → 2022-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9969435

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9969435, The Wilmer Institute Mentored Clinician Scientist Scholar Program (5K12EY015025-14). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9969435. Licensed CC0.

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