A. Scholar Eligibility (many answers reflect NIH policy on all K-type awards that is beyond our control)
1. Can I apply for a fellowship?
No. This year our program is only accepting faculty scholars for the WRHR career development award.
2. I have had support from a Clinical Scientist Development Award from the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation; may I apply for the K12?
Yes, previous non-federal career development awards do not preclude receiving a Roadmap WRHR award.
3. I have had support from a previous K12; may I apply for the WRHR?
Yes, but the total amount of support on all K12s combined is limited to five years. Further, the WRHR requires a minimum of two years so you cannot have had more than three years of support under the previous K12.
4. I have had support from a K08 for three years; may I apply for the WRHR for a 2 year period?
No. Individuals who have or have had an NIH or PHS mentored career development award (other than another K12) are not eligible for the Roadmap WRHR.
5. Are adjunct-series faculty eligible?
Yes, faculty in any series may apply although evidence of institutional commitment may strengthen the application.
6. May a recipient of the WRHR be a PI on an NIH grant?
NIH policy allows all K-type awardees to receive concurrent support as PI on a research grant (R01, R03, R15, R21, R34, etc) or as a sub project director of a PO1, P50, U01, etc. When a K12 scholar obtains independent support, the NIH will adjust the level of effort committed to the career award and research grant to total 75% of professional effort. Please refer to NIH policy: http://grants2.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-04-007.html
7. May scholars receive salary support from NIH research grants to make up the difference between the 75% effort supported by the WRHR award and the remaining 25%?
No. NIH policy is that the remainder of your salary not paid by the K12 may not be derived from NIH or other federal research grants (with the exception noted above in #6). It also should be noted that usually funds freed as a result of a career award may not be rebudgeted. The awarding component will give consideration to approval for the use of released funds only under unusual circumstances.
8. Must I be affiliated with UCSF to apply for the K12?
No. However, scholars from other institutions who wish to apply should arrange for a faculty position at UCSF and should include a lead mentor from UCSF who agrees to work with the scholar should she/he be selected. WRHR Scholars must have a primary appointment at UCSF when they start the WRHR Program on July 1.
9. May I apply for 100% salary support from the K12?
No. The maximum level of salary support from the WRHR for junior faculty is 75% of professional effort. UCSF faculty members are expected to perform other duties, such as teaching, clinical and administrative activities, and the effort for such duties must be paid by non-federal sources.
10. Can I be appointed as a WRHR Scholar before completing my subspecialty fellowship?
Please contact us in advance if you propose to devote less than 75% of total professional effort if selected. Any specialty that has a high clinical time demand is eligible for consideration for less than 75% effort.
11. Can I apply if I have a T32 fellowship?
Yes. You are eligible for up to 5 years on the Roadmap WRHR after having a T32.
B. Application and Review Process
1. Is equal weight given to the 5 selection criteria?
Yes, all these criteria will be considered equally when judging the applications. .
2. Will I be at a disadvantage coming from a Division where a scholar already was selected?
We strive to create a diverse cohort of scholars across projects, disciplines, departments, divisions and personal characteristics (such as previous work and life experiences, race, ethnicity, and gender). The diversity of the cohort is considered primarily among those applications that are judged to be sufficiently meritorious. Given the high quality of applicants that exist at UCSF, successful applicants from Divisions with an existing Roadmap WRHR Scholar will need to exhibit extraordinary capabilities, research questions and potential.
1. If I have earned a certificate in the "traditional" ATCR program (which does not lead to an "official" UCSF certificate) and wish to obtain a Master's Degree in Clinical Reesearch, can I get credit for the courses I took in ATCR?
No. Unfortunately, unless you were enrolled in the credit-bearing ATCR Certificate Program that was established in 2004-05 you cannot receive credit for the courses you took in the traditional ATCR program. This is UC policy, and beyond our control.
2. I have a Master's in Clinical Research. May I propose training opportunities other than TICR courses in my application, e.g., short courses, mentored opportunities, etc.
Absolutely. You are strongly encouraged to propose any didactic or other training that you feel will increase your ability to become a leader in multidisciplinary clinical research. This could include short courses (summer, weekend, etc), regular course work, brief apprenticeships, etc., and could take place either at UCSF or at other institutions.
1. Do I need to talk to my proposed mentors to obtain their agreement before listing them on my letter of intent?
Yes, the mentors that you list should have agreed to this role before you send in the letter, and they should have helped you to choose and design your clinical research project. Part of the goal of the program is to encourage you to make creative decisions about which disciplines to combine.
2. Is it acceptable to propose two mentors who are not on the WRHR Mentors List?
Yes. Mentors just need to be qualified by their expertise in your area of research, their previous experience as a mentor, and the infrastructure they could provide for your project.
3. Can a mentor serve as the primary mentor for more than one scholar?
We’ll leave it up to the mentor to decide whether he or she can provide the quality of mentoring required for Roadmap WRHR - scholars. However, the MAC recognizes the effort required to mentor scholars and may be concerned about mentor burden in evaluating the applications.
4. Can a mentor be a UC Berkeley faculty member?
A co-mentor can be from any Bay Area institution but the lead mentor should be at UCSF.
5. If I am combining 3 or 4 disciplines, should I include more than 3 mentors?
No. We’d like you to keep the actual mentors to 2 or 3. You can mention more collaborators if appropriate in your application.