K to R Transition Scholars Program

Overview

The K to R Transition Scholars Program is a 2-year program designed to assist faculty navigating the K to R Award transition. The purpose of the K to R Transition Scholars Program is to equip clinician-scientists in VP&S or the NY Psychiatric Institute who are recent recipients of NIH K Awards with the tools, support, and knowledge to successfully navigate their transition to becoming independent scientists.

  1. Quarterly small group discussions (6-8 individuals per group) with established senior faculty. Small group discussion are designed to foster transparent and candid conversations to guide K recipients in positioning themselves for a successful independent career at Columbia. Additionally, senior faculty will be available for one-on-one office hours as needed;
  2. Monthly group peer and near-peer mentoring sessions to foster networking and a supportive environment to discuss issues unique to their career stage (provided through the ASPIRE! Peer and Near-peer Mentoring Program); and
  3. Career development workshops focused on topics pertinent to the K career stage. 

Program Rationale

Recognizing the need to provide support for scientists undergoing the K to R transition, we previously surveyed 162 individuals who had previously received a K award while at Columbia (45% response rate) to ascertain reasons why they are currently on the clinical or research track after theirmentored research training period. The survey results provided key insights including the identification of: 1) institutional barriers that may impede junior faculty from a career as a clinician scientist, 2) metrics (e.g., publications, awarded smaller grants etc.) in the mentored period that correlate with independent research funding after the K award, and 3) domains where additional guidance and training are needed, such as mentoring, productivity, navigating institutional politics, and grantsmanship. This program aims to educate and guide junior faculty through these topics and challenges.

Course Directors

  • Daichi Shimbo, MD (Professor of Medicine and Associate Dean of Research Career Development)
  • Marisa Spann, PhD (Associate Professor of Medical Psychology [in Psychiatry and Pediatrics])

Eligibility

Eligible individuals must fulfill both criteria:

  1. be appointed in VP&S or the NY Psychiatric Institute, and
  2. currently awarded a K01, K08, or K23 or have been awarded one in the past three years (2021-2023).

In addition to the application components required for the ASPIRE! Peer and Near-peer Mentoring Program, a 500-word statement describing the following is required:

  • Why this program will be beneficial to their career.
  • What they hope to gain from the program.
  • Three topics they wish to discuss with their peers.

Additional requirements of the K to R Transition Scholars Program include:

  • commitment to making at least 75% (3 out of 4) of the sessions scheduled in a given year,
  • completion of a pre- and post-assessment survey (after acceptance into the program), and 
  • completion of a mid-program evaluation survey along with program exit survey.

Deadline

November 1, 2023 at 5:00 p.m. EST.

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