Career Development Plan
Each scholar in the KL2 Mentored Career Development Program is required to submit a detailed career development plan after acceptance into the program. This plan, which must be approved by the CTSA Postdoctoral Programs Committee, helps ensure that you obtain maximum benefit from the KL2 Program. The career development plan is reviewed based on specific criteria.
Career development plans should use the following format, with information put in three separate sections as shown. A template also is available to help guide you.
Section 1: Overall career goals
Provide a summary of your career goals and explain how the activities in sections two and three will help you achieve these goals. You may use or modify the materials you prepared for your application to the KL2 Program. Provide background information on what you have already accomplished and your anticipated career trajectory. Describe activities that address your short- and long-term objectives and provide a summary.
Section 2: Mentoring component and mentoring team
Identify the members of your mentoring and research team, their roles (for example, primary mentor, secondary mentor, co-investigator or consultant) and the disciplines they represent.
Describe a meeting plan for your team, including frequency, duration and when meetings will begin, recognizing that some meetings may include multiple members of your team.
Example:
| Mentor name |
Role |
Discipline(s) |
Meeting plan |
| John Smith, M.D. |
Mentor |
Cardiology, epidemiology |
Every Tuesday for 1 hour |
Section 3: Training and didactic component
Briefly, describe the skills and training you already have, such as Ph.D. training, an M.P.H., fellowships and such. Provide further detail describing the additional skills and training you need to complete in order to accomplish your goals. Mention the specific Mayo curriculum you will be pursuing, including the courses listed below.
Separately, indicate any additional training (for example, courses or conferences) you will take at Mayo or elsewhere, including the length, location and a description of the training. Attach brochures or websites if appropriate. This may include the description of specific skills you'll gain. Identify any conferences or research committees in which you plan to participate and indicate their frequency.
Other items to include in section three:
- 'Write Winning Grants' (required). This one-day seminar addresses both the conceptual and practical aspects associated with the grant-writing process. It emphasizes idea development and how to write for reviewers. You'll receive tips, strategies and a copy of the "Grant Application Writer's Workbook." Read more.
- 'Writing for Biomedical Publications' (required). This one-day workshop will give you tips and strategies for successfully publishing original manuscripts in peer-reviewed biomedical journals. It includes a lecture component and interactive exercises. Read more.
- Presentation skills (optional). This half-day workshop, which uses a small-group format, will help you improve your presentation skills by optimizing body language, oral presentation and use of audiovisual aids. The workshop is particularly unique in that after some initial instruction, you'll be videotaped giving a five-minute presentation and receive constructive feedback.
- Budgeting (required). Shortly after the KL2 Program orientation, scholars will participate in a specially designed budgeting workshop.
- Research proposal and career development (required). This workshop, which also takes place after KL2 orientation, will outline expectations for completing the PHS 398 form.
CTSA Grand Rounds (required). Held from noon to 1 p.m. each Friday, CTSA Grand Rounds provides an opportunity for intellectual interaction among team members, students, trainees and faculty.
It also provides a forum for scholars and students in the KL2 Program and Ph.D. Program to defend their theses to peers and faculty, discuss projects, and learn about the breadth of approaches and techniques used across the spectrum of clinical and translational science. KL2 scholars are expected to present at CTSA Grand Rounds during their final year of funding.
- Required courses. KL2 scholars must take CTSC 5850f or 5860, CTSC 5860f or 5850, and CORE 6000su. See course descriptions for more information.
- Scholars pursuing the master's degree or certificate. In addition to the courses listed above, scholars pursuing the master's degree or certificate have several other required courses. See the program summaries for more information.
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