The Department of Medicine can nominate three junior faculty to the Institute of Clinical and Translational Research (ICTR) KL2 Scholars Program, which trains and supports early career faculty pursuing clinical and translational research and are committed to developing an independent research program.
For successful applicants, an initial KL2 appointment lasts two years and is funded by the National Institutes of Health National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NIH-NCATS) through the ICTR Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA).
The next appointment period starts on July 1, 2026. ICTR does not release the request for nominations (RFN) until late June. You can reference last year's RFN.
To provide adequate time for the DOM's nomination process, the department starts the nomination process prior to ICTR releasing its request for nominations.
- Eligibility
Prospective nominees must hold the rank of assistant professor (tenure-track or CHS) by July 1, 2026. They must also be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident. Refer to last year's RFN for additional eligibility criteria.
- Applying for Nomination
To be considered for nomination by the DOM, prospective nominees must submit the following items by 5 pm on Friday, May 23, 2025:
- A nomination letter signed by your division chief with an unsigned signature block for the department chair (the DOM Office of Research Services (ORS) will coordinate obtaining the chair’s signature on the letter if you are chosen as a nominee) that provides the following:
- A testament that you will have a faculty position by July 1, 2026, with at least 75% effort (50% for surgeons/other procedurally intensive specialties, with strong justification for the reduced time that includes details about how research and career development will not be impaired) protected for research. It must also include a detailed description of your duties to demonstrate, if awarded, 75% protected time for research and training activities throughout your participation in the program.
- A commitment to your long-term career development.
- The names of at least two committed mentors (ideally from different disciplines) to assist in your research and career development. The primary mentor must be clearly identified. Mentors must document completion of formal mentor training; see last year's RFN for more details.
- A separate page that provides a research abstract outlining the long-term goals and short-term specific aims of your proposed research, with enough detail to identify potential reviewers.
- A Biosketch with Other Support page.
- A statement of your need for additional training with specific milestones, limited to one paragraph.
Nominees should use this checklist to prepare a complete letter and packet.
The submission process can be started in the "Submit an Application" section below.
- A nomination letter signed by your division chief with an unsigned signature block for the department chair (the DOM Office of Research Services (ORS) will coordinate obtaining the chair’s signature on the letter if you are chosen as a nominee) that provides the following:
- DOM's Review Process
The Research Study Section reviews the nominations and makes recommendations to the Research Council, which finalizes nomination decisions in conjunction with the department chair. DOM is permitted to forward three nominations to ICTR, which will perform its own review of all nominees received from across SMPH and select three to participate in the KL2 Scholars Program overall.
- More Information About KL2
ICTR provides a downloadable document with answers to frequently asked questions about the KL2 program.
- Important Dates
- May 23, 2025: DOM’s deadline to apply for nomination
- June 2025: ICTR puts out formal Request for Nominations
- June 23, 2025: Notification of three DOM nominees
- July 31, 2025: DOM nominations due to ICTR
- Early August: ICTR information/Q&A session hosted via Zoom. Nominees are strongly encouraged to attend.
- August 29, 2025: Deadline for nominees to send Letter of Support draft and their Career Development and Training Plan to DOM ORS
- September 30, 2025: Deadline for nominees to submit their final KL2 applications to ICTR
- January 2026: Award JIT & award announcement
- July 1, 2026: KL2 recipients start appointments
Submit an Application
Upload your application as a single PDF to the submission portal. Applications are due by 5 pm, Friday, May 23, 2025.
Questions?
If you have questions or need more information about this process, please email the DOM Office of Research Services at ResearchServices@medicine.wisc.edu.