Contact PD/PI: Guay-Woodford, Lisa Marie Inst-Career-Dev-001 (495) Project Summary Abstract   We propose a Mentored Career Development Plan that will utilize the resources of CTSI-CN v2.0 and our partner institutions, Children's National Health System, the George Washington University and Virginia Tech/Carilion Clinic. The focus of the KL2 program is on childhood disorders as precursors of adult disease. We propose an approach with team mentorship, multi-institutional courses and access to a large research skills development toolbox. It will also provide a strong portfolio of biomedical, health services, pharma, industry, and not-for-profit externships. Our research education paradigm utilizes blended learning that includes distance education and an online learning portal. Through the resources of the CTSA Scholarly Oversight Committee and the Grants Enhancement Program, the KL2 scholar will master CTR core competencies and be well prepared in all aspects of developing and submitting competitive NIH grant applications by the end of their training period. Of high priority is promoting diversity among recruited scholars and mentors, with specific strategies proposed for recruitment, retention and individualized supports. The KL2 scholar will: 1) complete graduate level courses in CTR, bioinformatics, systems biology, and health policy relevant to their area of research; 2) learn state-of-the-art laboratory, statistical, and epidemiological methodologies; 3) collect and analyze preliminary data with guidance from a Lead Mentor and Mentorship Team; 4) prepare and submit an NIH grant application; and 5) become versed in various strategies to translate their scientific findings into the next stages of clinical applications. Our proposed program ensures scholars will have 75% protected time. We draw on 48 mentors/co-mentors in affinity areas that include genomics/proteinomic with clinical phenotyping; chemical/biological/cellular therapies; biomedical imaging and engineering; rigorous clinical trials; and health disparities/health services research. Our scholars will participate in CTSA-network activities including a distance externship program initiated by the Medical University of South Carolina CTSA; our novel R25 curriculum entitled “Innovations in Pediatric CTR Education”; a planned R13- supported satellite conference for pediatric-focused KL2s at the annual Association for Clinical and Translation Science meeting, and a multidisciplinary consortium pilot program proposed in the CTSI-CN U54-application, the “Child Health Research Acceleration through Multisite Planning (CHAMP)”. The administrative structure of the KL2 includes a Project Lead and three Project Co-Leads with complementary skill sets in clinical research, team science/leadership, and educational design. We propose to select and train 9 scholars over the grant period, 4 with federal and 5 with institutional funding. We will use ongoing evaluation methods to continuously strengthen and refine out training program and measure its long-term impact on scientific careers and research contributions in CTR.