2025 UCLA CTSI K/CDA Grant Writing Two-Day Virtual Workshop

UCLA CTSI K/CDA Grant Writing Two-Day Virtual Workshop 

Important Dates

• Early registration deadline (submitting a draft K application or specific aims): 5PM on April 28, 2025
• Draft K grant application or specific aims submission deadline: 5PM on May 8, 2025
• General registration deadline (NOT submitting draft K application or specific aims): 5PM on June 4, 2025

REGISTER HERE to receive Zoom and meeting information

The UCLA Clinical and Translational Science Institute (CTSI) will be holding a workshop for junior investigators who have applied, are applying, or thinking about applying for a NIH K/Career Development Award.  We are offering this special opportunity to junior faculty at the UCLA CTSI partner institutions (Cedars-Sinai, CDU, Lundquist/Harbor-UCLA, and UCLA) to learn how to prepare successful K applications. 

During the first day of the K Workshop, presentations will be made by UCLA CTSI Workforce Development Program Leaders. The workshop presentation will be relevant to anyone who plans to seek a K or career development award.  You can also find past workshop materials at https://uclahs.fyi/49NyUnk. 

During the second day, faculty will review and discuss draft K grant applications and provide feedback on preparing successful applications on an individual basis. In addition to reviewing fuller draft K applications, attendees are also encouraged to submit just their specific aims for review if they are early in the planning process. This will provide the opportunity for the reviewers to catch any major issues early on before the proposal is developed. NOTE: This is not required for general attendees.

DAY 1: June 05, 2025, 8:00am-12:00pm

Presentations by UCLA CTSI Senior Faculty (CLICK HERE for Day 1 Agenda)

• Navigating the NIH K Award Process
• Choosing Your Mentorship Team
• Writing the NIH K Award
• How Reviewers Evaluate K Awards
• Common Critiques from NIH K Study Sections
• Considerations in Applying for a K99 Award: the NIH "Pathway to Independence"
• UCLA CTSI KL2 Resources

DAY 2: June 06, 2025, 8:00am-12:00pm

Review & Discussion of Draft K Grant Applications and Specific Aims

WORKSHOP SPEAKERS 

Kenrik Duru, MD, MSHS [Bio] 
Christopher Evans, PhD [Bio] 
Carol Mangione, MD, MSPH [Bio] 
Steven Mittelman, MD, PhD [Bio] 
Elizabeta Nemeth, PhD [Bio] 

MODERATOR 
Mitchell Wong, MD, PhD [Bio] 

Please submit the items below by 5PM on May 8, 2025 through the Workshop Draft Grant Submission Website. Link to the submission website will be emailed to those who have registered to submit a draft grant. You may refer to the NIH website for page limits for K grant applications.

DRAFT K/CDA GRANT APPLICATIONS

• NIH Biosketch
• Draft K grant application at any stage of development.
• Specific Aims
• First three items of Candidate Information (Candidate's Background, Career Goals and Objectives, and Career Development/Training Activities During Award Period)
• Research Strategy
• Bibliography & References cited
• NIH Summary Statement (for resubmissions)
• Other sections you want reviewed

DRAFT SPECIFIC AIMS ONLY

• NIH Biosketch
• Specific Aims
• Outline of the Training Goals and Education Plan - Optional but preferred.
• Bibliography & References cited - Optional but preferred.

RESOURCES:

• Watch videos of presentations from previous K Workshops at: https://uclahs.fyi/49NyUnk
• Request access to the UCLA CTSI Grant Library of funded NIH Grant applications at: https://uclahs.fyi/3PiWtMD
• Summary of NIH and NSF Requirements: https://uclahs.fyi/43lhXys
• Boilerplate Text: https://uclahs.fyi/4a5RdEa
• NIH Human Subjects and Clinical Trials: https://uclahs.fyi/43b2Ebr 

If you have any questions, please contact BrisGarcia@mednet.ucla.edu.