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CTSA Questions and Answers about Training ProgramsLast updated March 27, 2009. ON THIS PAGE:
SEE ALSO: Budget GuidelinesQ: Are the CTSA K12 or T32 programs submitted separately or as part of the U54 application? A: A K12 program content component must be submitted as part of the U54 application and not separately. The T32 program content is an optional component, but it may be needed to serve the training needs of the CTSA. The budget components of the K12 and T32 programs are submitted separately as described in the RFA. Q: Are all costs of an existing RM K12, including infrastructure, included in the K12 component of the CTSA, or should all non-scholar costs be borne by the U component, with its higher F+A costs? A: The CTSA K component budget should include only the costs of the scholars (e.g., salary) and any related expenses (pilot studies, travel, laboratory, etc.). The U component may include administrative costs such as 1) curriculum and degree granting elements to develop and provide lectures, courses, seminar series; 2) programs to provide research educational experiences to undergraduate students, allied health professionals — such as study coordinators and project managers — and non-doctoral master's students; and 3) a faculty core to provide mentor support and training in mentoring, leadership, research and laboratory management, and research team building skills. Q: When developing the total budget for the U54, what budget parameters should be followed for the K12 component? A: Awards will vary in size due to the consolidation of multiple programs at the applicant institution(s) into the CTSA program proposal. Applicants may request limited total costs annually in addition to the combined current total costs of certain NIH awards (NCRR K12 and M01, NCRR-managed trans-NIH K30 and Roadmap T32 and K12) held by the applicant institution and its affiliates. When summing the awards for NCRR M01 and K12, NCRR-managed trans-NIH K30 and Roadmap K12 and T32 to calculate the Base Budget above which CTSA funding may be requested, the amounts that should be used are the "Approved Budgets" from the latest Notice of Grant Award prior to October 1, 2008 that included FY 2008 funds. Applicants may request annual total costs up to the larger number of three options: 1) the Base Budget increased by up to 45%; 2) the Base Budget increased by $1.5 million; or 3) up to $4 million annually in total costs. Applicants who would like verification of their calculations should contact NCRR Program Staff. Q: We have a Roadmap K12 that runs until 2010. The CTSA lasts 5 years. Can we budget the K12 to run the full 5 years? A: Yes. You should budget the K12 component of a CTSA for the full 5 years of an award. Q: Are the K12 and the T32 separate grant applications, or are the details of these two programs to be included in the 25 pages of the Education Key Function description? A: The K and T components of a CTSA application should be integrated with the U component and described, with other Research Education activities, within the 25 page limit. Q: We are limited to 30 mentor biographical sketches in the application. Can additional biographical sketches for key personnel be included outside the 30-biographical-sketch limit? If so, is there any overall limit to the number of biographical sketches to be included? A: Biographical sketches should be limited to individuals who are named in the application. With regards to mentors, 30 biographical sketches are sufficient to give reviewers an indication of the mentor pool. Q: The CTSA appears to provide two funding mechanisms for training: KL2 and TL1. What are these two mechanisms? A: The submitted application is for a U54 mechanism that includes a mandatory K component and optional T component. The separation into UL1, KL2 and TL1 is done at NIH for administrative purposes. It is not possible to apply directly for the L (linked) mechanisms. Applicability of Training GuidelinesQ: Do the guidelines from the Roadmap K12 RFA also apply to the KL2 component of the CTSA? A: No. The guidelines from the Roadmap K12 RFA do not apply to the CTSA KL2 awards. Q: Do the guidelines from the Roadmap T32 RFA also apply to the TL1 component of the CTSA? A: No. The guidelines from the Roadmap T32 RFA do not apply to the CTSA TL1 awards. The National Research Service Award has specific degree training requirements that are outlined in the CTSA RFA training component. Eligibility RequirementsQ: Is the requirement for the combined doctoral degree with a master's degree in clinical and translational research for the T32 component limited to candidates for professional doctoral degrees (e.g., M.D.)? Could we offer a master's degree in clinical and translational research to Ph.D. candidates for the basic sciences to enhance their involvement in clinical and translational research? A: Yes. Being registered for a Ph.D. in a clinical/translational research topic suffices for eligibility for support through a CTSA T32 program. Q: We currently have a program in Radiation Sciences whereby residents in radiology get a Ph.D. in radiation sciences. Can the T32 component of the CTSA support the stipends of these types of students? A: If the residents already have an M.D., they could be supported through the postdoctoral component of a TL1 or through the KL2 program. Number of Allowed Trainee SlotsQ: Is there a limit to the number of scholars who can be funded under the KL2, or can we exceed our previous cap? A: The number of scholars allowed under a KL2 award is determined by the number of slots requested in that institution's CTSA application and approved through peer review. Institutions who wish to increase the number of slots must receive prior approval from NCRR. The request must include a plan to fund the additional scholars in subsequent budget years. Long-Term and Short-Term TL1 SlotsQ: Is it possible to switch short-term trainees to long-term trainee positions within the TL1 award? A: Institutions may move trainees currently in short-term slots into long-term slots, provided they meet the National Research Service Award (NRSA) eligibility criteria and the degree training requirement. As long as institutions stay within the awarded budget for the TL1, there is no need to ask for permission to do this. A new PHS 2271 appointment form must be submitted to reflect the new appointment period. KL2 Scholar Slots and Institutional FundsQ: If an institution chooses to initially fund some scholars on institutional funds, and slots subsequently open up in the KL funded training program, may those scholars be then moved off institutional funds and into the KL slots? A: Yes, provided that they meet the eligibility criteria. The key here is the cap. Institutions must remain within their allotted number of KL2 funded slots, and within the training period cap of 5 years. Within these parameters, scholars may be moved off of institutional funds and onto the KL2 award. Additional Funding Opportunities for ScholarsQ: The CTSA RFA seems to indicate that CTSA K12 scholars cannot apply, or have pending an application, for a K08 or K23 award. That would prevent K12 scholars from obtaining their own individual mentored career development awards without any gap in funding. Can this really be the intention? A: The listed text under the Eligibility section of the RFA should reference K12 candidates as opposed to existing scholars. The trans-NIH policy stipulates that K12 candidates may not apply for a similar mentored K award (i.e., K23) simultaneously. However, appointed K12 scholars supported through institutional K12 (and KL2) awards may apply for K23 support. If they are successful, they then move from one mechanism to the other. Q: Can a KL2 scholar accept a small grant award? A: Yes. KL2 scholars may be named PIs on a competing NIH research grant application (R01, R03, R15, R21, R34, or equivalent application from another federal agency) or a sub-project director on a competing multi-component research or center grant or cooperative agreement application (P01, P50, U01, etc. or an equivalent application from another federal agency). However, the effort requirement of the KL2 award applies. The K appointees must be in their final two years before a reduction in effort to 6 person-months (50 percent full-time professional effort) is permitted. Q: Can KL2 scholars at CTSAs train at foreign sites? A: Foreign training experiences will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Prior approval is required for all scholars who wish to conduct research overseas. To request approval, the principal investigator or director of the Career Development component of the CTSA will have to submit a letter to NCRR describing the mentoring plan for the foreign training, countersigned by an appropriate institutional official. The letter must provide detailed justification for the foreign training, including the reasons why the facilities, the mentor, or other aspects of the proposed experience are more appropriate than training in a domestic setting. NCRR will submit all documentation for approval to the NIH Fogarty International Center. Q: Can TL1 postdocs train at foreign sites? A: Foreign training experiences will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Prior approval is required for all postdoctoral trainees who wish to conduct research overseas. To request approval, the principal investigator or director of the Career Development component of the CTSA will have to submit a letter to NCRR describing the mentoring plan for the foreign training, countersigned by an appropriate institutional official. The letter must provide detailed justification for the foreign training, including the reasons why the facilities, the mentor or other aspects of the proposed experience are more appropriate than training in a domestic setting. NCRR will submit all documentation for approval to the NIH Fogarty International Center. Salary Support for KL2 ScholarsQ: Can the salary of a KL2 scholar be split between institutional and KL2 award sources? A: A KL2 scholar must spend at least 75 percent of his or her time conducting research (except for special circumstances, such as a surgical specialty scholar). That research time must be funded out of the KL2 award. The remaining part of the salary may be contributed from institutional funds. Q: I have a KL2 scholar who will not have completed her research by the end of our CTSA budget period. Can I apply for a carryover for her to complete the research in the coming year? A: Carryovers for this purpose are rarely necessary as the next budget period already has salary and training support for the full set of K scholars approved in your application. Contact InformationPlease contact your NCRR Grants Management Specialist or your Program Officer if you have questions regarding this information. Carol Merchant, M.D., M.P.H |
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