Mentored Career Development in Community-Engaged Research Award
(CER-K12-UMass Chan-funded)
Funded by UMass Chan Medical School, the goal of the Mentored Career Development in Community-Engaged Research Award is to advance UMass Chan's mission to improve the health and wellness of our varied communities throughout Massachusetts and across the world by leading and innovating in education, research, health care delivery, and public service. This award supports the development of the next generation of leaders in community-engaged population, clinical and translational research.
For the purpose of this award, community-engaged research is broadly defined as research that incorporates input from people from communities who experience a greater burden of disease and with the intent of understanding lived experiences and developing research-tested solutions. Community is broadly defined and encompasses population groups defined based on factors such as geography, culture, patient/disease status and sociodemographic factors. The level of community engagement can vary, depending on the project. Examples of community-engaged research include, but are not limited to, members of the researched community serving in an advisory role, community members participating in study-related activities, or projects involving a fully participatory community-academic action research approach.
Applicants must demonstrate unique abilities that contribute to the university’s mission, such as demonstrated commitment to community-engaged research with populations that have traditionally not participated in science (e.g., individuals with varying abilities, veterans, certain demographic groups, or individuals with a history of social or economic disadvantage), or communities that experience a disproportionate burden of poor health outcomes; and/or applicants should demonstrate commitment, courage and determination for supporting populations such as those we serve (in particular communities with limited access to resources).
The program is open to all qualified junior clinical and translational scientists at UMass Chan who have a faculty-level appointment. We are especially eager to consider qualified applicants from groups that have had limited participation in medicine, nursing, and the biomedical sciences, and whose research and experience support the UMass Chan mission.
This program supplements our NCATS/NIH-funded K12 program by providing organizational funding for three additional awards.
The program offers the possibility of a tenure-track appointment for K12 awardees with a primary appointment in a basic science department or selected clinical departments, following successful completion of the award.
Please see the CCTS website for program eligibility and requirements, RFA announcements, and application instructions: https://www.umassmed.edu/ccts/funding/
Application Requirements:
In addition to the standard application materials for our UMass Chan K12 program, individuals applying to the Mentored Career Development in Community-Engaged Research Award must:
· Consult with the CTSA Community Engagement Section during the preparation of their proposal and upon receipt of award for advice on their approach to community engagement.
· Submit a 1-page community engagement plan that describes the proposed approach to community engagement, including how community members will be identified, involved in the project and its interpretation and its dissemination.
· Submit a Special Personal Statement that describes how the applicant’s professional and lived experiences have influenced their values, priorities and goals, and how they align with or support UMass Chan’s research, educational, health care, and public service mission. The Special Personal Statement will be rated based on:
o The candidate’s commitment and skills for working with populations that experience a disproportionate burden of poor health outcomes
o The candidate’s commitment, courage, and determination for championing initiatives on behalf of socially or economically disadvantaged populations, such as those we serve.
o The candidate’s evidence of resilience, perseverance, and resourcefulness in the face of adverse life experiences.