Accelerate Your Career with a K Award!

ITM K Talks
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K Talks
K Talks
K Talks
K Talks

50

Junior Investigators Awarded

120,000

Maximum Salary

1,000

Travel Stipend

$6,800,000

$ AwardedThe ITM administers the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Career Development (K12) Awards, including the Paul Calabresi and Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA) K12 Award programs. This funding opportunity is open to all ITM institutions, including researchers at UChicago, Rush, Loyola University Chicago, NorthShore University HealthSystem, the Illinois Institute of Technology, and Advocate Health Care.Since the programs began, the ITM has awarded more than $6.8 million to more than 50 junior investigators at multiple ITM institutions, and many alumni have gone on to secure major grants and scale their projects to improve people’s health.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ay4UYod5DFk

Join the K Community & Launch Your Career

The prestigious K Awards support young researchers for up to two years. Those holding an MD, PhD, or MD/PhD who are interested in clinical, translational, and/or oncology research are encouraged to apply for:

  • Salary support for up to $120,000 plus fringe per year.
  • Travel funds.
  • Research funds of $30,000 per year to spend on your research project or career development activities.
  • At least 75 percent protected time to focus on a clinical/translational research program of your choice.
  • Exclusive mentoring and educational opportunities from senior faculty.
  • Monthly Career Seminars.
  • City-wide and national networking.
  • Science communication training.

“The K Award gave me the bandwidth and space to think creatively, which has been a great gift,” said Suskind, MD, Professor of Surgery and Pediatrics and Director of Pediatric Cochlear Implant Program and Thirty Million Words Initiative.

Applications for the CTSA KL2 Clinical and Translational Scholar award are now being accepted through 11:59 p.m. Nov. 29, 2026.

Other questions? Contact Sonya Redmond-Head, ITM Pilot Process Coordinator, at srhead@bsd.uchicago.edu.

Learn More and Apply Here

Hear It From Them

I have always had an interest in computers and computer science but usually found myself doing basic life science research. The ITM has helped open up the opportunity to work with computer analysis techniques and incorporate imaging techniques such as advanced microscopy and two-photon emission microscopy.
Vladimir Liarski,
Vladimir Liarski,Clinical Instructor of Medicine Department of Rheumatology
The ITM Award was hugely instrumental in my research career, and I am so grateful for the support I received from colleagues and mentors. I’ve used the award to do additional course work, complete my fellowship in clinical medical ethics, and provide funding for various research projects.
Julie Chor, MD, MPH
Julie Chor, MD, MPHAssistant Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology
The K Award gave me the bandwidth and space to think creatively, which has been a great gift. It started out as a way to help my patients. Little did I know it would change the trajectory of my life.
Dana Suskind, MD,
Dana Suskind, MD,Professor Surgery and Pediatrics Director of Pediatric Cochlear Implant Program and Thirty Million Words Initiative

Success Stories

 

Making Big Data Personal: ITM Researcher Develops App That Tracks Well-Being, Gives Science-Based Feedback to Improve Individuals’ Health

 

ITM Career Scholar Secures $500K NIH Grant to Study How Lupus Begins Using High-Tech Imaging to Track Cells in Real Time

 

ITM Investigator First to Explore New Patient Care Model, Secures NIH Funding to Expand Research

 

ITM Investigator Launches Research Center to Boost Babies’ Brains

This project is supported by the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) through Grant Numbers UL1TR002389, KL2TR002387, and TL1TR00238 that fund the Institute for Translational Medicine (ITM). The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the NIH.