Starting from a pool of more than 50 applicants, the Harvard Catalyst KL2 Medical Investigator Research Training (MeRIT) program has selected eight trainees for 2010 These winning candidates will spend the next two years pursuing key questions in clinical and translational research as well as a program of educational activities.
The KL2 MeRIT program opens the door for senior fellows and junior faculty (within the first few years or on the cusp of their initial faculty appointment) to pursue a mentor-based research program to allow them to develop into fully independent investigators. In addition, the KL2 recipients can choose to receive advanced training in desired disciplines (such as biostatistics, epidemiology, clinical pharmacology, study design, genetics, bioinformatics, bioethics, behavioral science and imaging) that will best enhance their research and career goals.
At the end of the two-year training period, KL2 trainees are well positioned to apply for further federal research funding, such as NIH K08, K23, or R01 awards.
The program makes this possible in part by helping the trainees create protected time for training-related activities. “Clinical, educational, research and other responsibilities place heavy demands on the time of young faculty members,” said Anthony Hollenberg, HMS associate professor of medicine at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and a faculty member of the Harvard–MIT Division of Health Sciences and Technology (HST). Hollenberg oversees the KL2 program and codirects both the Harvard Catalyst Intensive Training in Translational Medicine (ITTM) course and the Clinical Investigator Training Program (CITP) at HST. “The KL2 program helps the awardees create the protected time they need in order to advance their research and their careers as clinical and translational scientists.”
The KL2 MeRIT Program is just one of several postgraduate research training opportunities available through Harvard Catalyst and its partner institutions. To learn more, visit the Harvard Catalyst Education & Training web page.
