ELIGIBILITY

1. Who may apply?
With their mentor’s permission, any postdoc who is at least 12-24 months from the end of their fellowship may be considered for the Scholars Program.  Projects should be translational in nature. Applicants may be from VU, VUMC, or Meharry.

2. Do I need to be a US citizen?
Applicants must be US citizens or permanent residents.

3. How much protected time for research is required?
The program requires a minimum of 75% for research. If you have clinical, teaching, or other duties, please confirm with your mentor that those responsibilities will not pull you away from research for more than 25% of your time.

4. Must the mentor be at Vanderbilt?
The primary mentor must be at Vanderbilt unless the applicant is Meharry faculty, in which case the primary mentor may be at Meharry.

5. How is translational science defined?
Translational science turns “observations in the laboratory, clinic and community into interventions that improve the health of individuals and the public.” This can include preclinical and clinical research, clinical implementation, and/or public health. NCATS, the NIH institute which funds the TL1, requires a human element for all projects, which can be human cells or tissues, human study participants (as in a clinical trial), or healthcare systems or population-level studies. Purely animal studies with no human component are not able to be funded.

6. Is it acceptable to apply for an individual F, K or equivalent at the same time as the Vanderbilt Translational Science Postdoctoral Scholars Program?
Yes, it is encouraged. If a scholar receives an individual F or K, he or she will graduate to that award from internal funding.

7. I have a competitive score on my F, K or K equivalent, but won’t know for sure or won’t receive the award until after the scholars’ deadline. Should I apply anyway?
Yes. Many of our scholars quickly move from TL1 funding to an individual federal award.

APPLICATION PROCESS

8. Is there a recommended format for the proposal?
Include everything on the list in the application instructions. Many use a format similar to the NIH K. Successful K applications are viewable in our funded grants library; email adrienne.babcock@vumc.org for access.

9. Is there a page limit on the cover letter?
Yes, the applicant’s cover letter may not be more than two pages.

10. Where does the candidate describe career development plans?
Career development plans are described as part of the 10-page proposal.

11. Is there a page limit on the mentor letter?
No, but typical lengths are between 1 and 4 pages. Letters signed by multiple mentors tend to be longer.

12. How do I include letters of support from important collaborators?
Although you may not have more than the required number of letters, multiple people can sign one letter to indicate intent to support you in your research, including collaboration.

13.To whom should letters be addressed?
The Vanderbilt Translational Science Scholars Program Selection Committee.

14. Can I have an appendix?
Appendices must follow current NIH guidelines, which are very stringent about what is allowed.

REVIEW PROCESS

15. When are applicants notified?
Applications are usually reviewed in the spring and applicants are notified as soon as possible after review.

16. How is it decided who is successful?
The process is competitive. Applications are reviewed as an NIH career development grant would be. Primary and secondary reviewers discuss and score them in a panel format. The score reflects the reviewers’ judgment of the strengths of the scientific proposal, strengths of the mentor and mentoring plan, as well as the individual’s potential for a successful academic science career.

17. Am I competitive for these grants?
No threshold is defined and the competition varies from year to year. Someone with no publications and no research experience is unlikely to be successful. However, having many publications doesn’t ensure success. The whole application is scored: the mentor, the science, and the applicant’s potential.

18. How can I increase my chances of success?

• Follow the instructions
• Have a strong, funded mentor
• Have a career plan that shows you are moving forward and where you are going
• Have clear, hypothesis-driven aims

19. How many open positions are there?
The number of open positions varies each year. We anticipate having up to three for the 2022-23 academic year.

20. What is the success rate?
This varies from year to year, and ranges from 20 to 40%. Success rates will be determined by the ratio of available awards to the number of applications, so years where we receive fewer applications will have higher success rates.

21. Can I reapply?
Yes, as long as you are eligible.

FUNDING SUPPORT

22. How many years of support does the TL1 offer?
Support is available for up to two years, with a second year contingent upon satisfactory research & career development progress and completion of program requirements including submission of an abstract to the annual Translational Science meeting, attendance at Work in Progress meetings, and submission of an annual progress report.

23. Can these awards run concurrently with other awards?
If a scholar gets an individual F or K award or an R01, the individual comes off intramural funding with a transition period. If someone has a smaller award, for example a professional society grant, individuals will need to check the regulations of the granting organization and be in communication with Edge for Scholars at Vanderbilt to develop a plan. In general, you may not hold concurrent fellowships or career development awards.

I have additional questions that were not covered in the information provided.
Please email melissa.krasnove@vanderbilt.edu, who will respond to additional questions you may have.