Workforce development

Mayo Clinic's Center for Clinical and Translational Science (CCaTS) offers internal and external learners various workforce development topics in clinical and translational research. This includes physicians, scientists, nurses, clinical research coordinators, and others in clinical or research roles.

Internal learners at Mayo Clinic can find additional modules at Research Professional Development on Demand (must be connected to the Mayo Clinic intranet).

Online professional development programs are open for registration to internal and external learners. These programs vary in length.

Free courses

Professional Development Courses on Executive Education

Introduction to Clinical and Translational Science (ICaTS)

This foundational course introduces learners to clinical and translational research principles and practices. Through lectures and case studies, participants explore the full research spectrum, from early scientific discoveries to implementation in clinical care.

The course introduces research ethics, regulatory frameworks, study design, epidemiology and biostatistics. Learners also gain insight into writing research proposals, recruiting study participants and applying evidence-based interventions. Emphasis is placed on effectively communicating research findings to diverse audiences and understanding the effect of research on health outcomes. ICaTS is ideal for those seeking to work in research that bridges science and patient care.

Visit Executive Education for registration information.

Essentials of Clinical and Translational Science (ECaTS)

ECaTS is delivered in two separate units that contain approximately 30 hours of instruction:

  • Principles of Clinical Epidemiology and Statistics in Clinical and Translational Science. This unit presents basic terminology and methodological concepts in epidemiology from a clinical perspective.
  • Statistics in Clinical and Translational Science. This unit introduces statistical methods in various clinical study designs. Coverage of each statistical technique includes identifying what research questions it can address, verifying that assumptions are adequately met and identifying the limitations of the conclusions.

Visit Executive Education for registration information.

Academic Publishing

The course explores the academic publishing process, including:

  • Decisions on what to publish.
  • Understanding the unique style of academic or scholarly writing.
  • Crafting suitable narratives or messages for specific audiences.
  • Selecting the appropriate journal.
  • Preparing a manuscript.
  • Choosing a compelling title.
  • Avoiding pitfalls such as plagiarism and publication bias.
  • Addressing authorship considerations.
  • Navigating the submission and peer review process.
  • Learning about galley proofs.
  • Communicating with the media.
  • Anticipating post-publication activities such as letters to the editor and corrections.

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Grant Writing in the Sciences

This course provides a fundamental introduction to grant writing. To identify a suitable National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant for a project, it is crucial to consider the study's objectives, stage of research development and adherence to NIH guidelines. Preparing and submitting an NIH application requires an understanding of the grant preparation and review process and using resources and strategies specific to various research fields.

Recognizing the significance of NIH's scored review criteria and its influence on the overall impact score is essential for funding decisions, alongside acknowledging the importance of preliminary data and a well-structured specific aims page. This course addresses all these key topics and more.

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More information

Direct questions to the CCaTS Workforce team.