Team Science and Translational Medicine Faculty Development Program

Applications Closed

Return to Instructor and Faculty Opportunities

MCHRI is pleased to offer a new faculty development program focused on team science and translational medicine! The program will prioritize applications from instructors and assistant professors (UML/UTL/NTLR Faculty Lines) who propose innovative ideas and desire support in building robust teams to expedite development and establishment of focus areas or thematic “verticals.”

The goal of the program will be to aid junior faculty in obtaining extramural funding (R01s) and noteworthy publications to support the vertical and the junior faculty’s career.

MCHRI is offering the course at no cost to applicants and their proposed teams as well as lodging and meals at the Asilomar Conference Grounds for the course period. The culmination of the program will be a $50,000 pilot grant application informed by all facets of the training as well as interactions with team members and research resources. 

Note: Only teams selected to attend the training will be eligible to apply. MCHRI plans to award (2) $50,000 grants for this fiscal year

The program will be able to accommodate up to (8) teams at the beautiful Asilomar Conference Grounds in Monterey, CA February 25 – February 28, 2024. Individual’s selected for the course, and their proposed teams, will have the opportunity to gain insight into a variety of settings including experience with building a translationally focused lab, coordinating a team-based science project, advancing a medical product/concept to the clinic, and leveraging all available resources at Stanford.

“Verticals” are defined as thematic initiatives or programs which have the potential for high impact and collaboration. MCHRI’s Uytengsu-Hamilton 22q11 Neuropsychiatry Research Program serves as a example of an established vertical. “Horizontals” of the team science and translational medicine faculty development program represent the domain expertise of the proposed team members including, basic science, translational medicine, clinical research, commercialization/public health and policy/community engagement.

APPLICATION DEADLINE
September 19, 2023

NOTIFICATION OF AWARD
October 3, 2023

ASILOMAR TRAINING
February 25-28, 2024

Program Goals

  1. Prioritize diverse teams (basic, translational, clinical, commercial/political) designed to tackle innovative high impact verticals
  2. Utilize research projects as opportunity to form collaborations & apply learning
  3. Provide training through Asilomar course to serve as initial team Forming, Storming, Norming, Performing setting
  4. Utilize exemplary mentors already connected to MCHRI

Eligibility

Instructors and Assistant Professors (UML/UTL/NTLR Faculty Lines) as well as their proposed team members who are able to commit to all 4 steps outlined in Program Application and Structure.

Program Application and Structure

Step 1: Instructors and Assistant Professors (UML/UTL Faculty Lines) submit by Tuesday, September 19, 2023

  1. 1-Page Impact Statement
    1. Summary of Idea/Invention/Product
    2. Description of Current State
    3. Current Project Needs
    4. Proposed Team
      1. Team members may be from different faculty lines, roles, and disciplines in order to meet the needs of the proposed vertical. Preferably, all team members should be internal to Stanford unless specifically necessary for the development of the vertical. Recommended team size varies from 3 – 6 depending on the needs of the project.
      2. MCHRI may coordinate with selected applicants to fill project gaps. Needs may be featured in bold brackets (e.g., [computational biology], [bioengineering], etc.).
  2. Current NIH Biosketch of the Instructor or Assistant Professor Applicant
  3. Letter of Support from Department Chair
    1. Specifying relief from clinical duties during the dates of the Asilomar training as well as adequate time to dedicate to the monthly mentoring meetings.
    2. Highlighting how the proposed vertical (project team) will support the individual applicant’s career.
    3. Commitment to providing an independent progress report for the following 3 years.

Step 2: MCHRI’s Innovation and Development Team will identify individuals to help fill any gaps in the proposed team structure as identified in Step 1 (Request for Applications TBA).

Step 3: Selected faculty and project teams are expected to attend a translational training engagement hosted at the beautiful Asilomar Conference Grounds from February 25 – February 28, 2024. Teams will coordinate with MCHRI Translational Medicine Faculty and Staff during the course to develop a project plan, set of specific aims for their idea and practice their vertical pitch to an advisory panel.

Step 4: Post course, teams will be invited to apply for up to $50K in funding where MCHRI will award up to 4 projects. Teams will refine their vertical pitch again and present to a formal peer-review panel which will adjudicate the award allocations between the written application and overall quality of the pitch.

Step 5: All projects (regardless of funding status) will be assigned a project mentor and are required to establish monthly meetings to ensure project success post Asilomar training for the following 6 months as well as continued guidance from MCHRI Innovation and Development Staff during this period.

Key Dates and Course Timeline

Training Program Key Dates & Course Timeline

September 19, 2023 - Application Deadline

October 3, 2023 – Notification of Application Selection

October 2023 – Early February 2024 – Team Forming with MCHRI Innovation and Development Staff

February 25 – 28, 2024 – Selected Applicants and Associated Teams Attend Asilomar Training

Tentative  Asilomar Training Schedule 

February 25, 2024
4pm – 6pm – Course Introduction and Team Building Activities
6pm – 7pm - Dinner
After Dinner – Networking

February 26, 2024
9am – 10:30am – Course Faculty and Resource Presentations
10:30am – Noon – Project Development
Noon – 1:30pm – Lunch
1:30pm – 3pm – Review of Projects and Needs Analysis
3pm – 5pm – Working Meetings with Course Faculty
5pm – End of Evening – Break, Dinner and Networking

February 27, 2024
9am – Noon – Stakeholder Engagement (Communication and Coordinating with Stanford Resources)
Noon – 1:30pm – Lunch
1:30pm – 5pm – Prospecting Future Plans (Specific Aims, Grant Opportunities, Pitch Preparation)
5pm – End of Evening – Break, Dinner and Networking

February 28, 2024
9am – Noon – Pitch Presentations to Advisory Panel
Noon – Depart Asilomar

March 8, 2024 – Funding Applications Due (Details Provided Post-Asilomar)

March 23, 2024 – Notification of Funded Projects

March 2024 – August 2024 – Monthly Team Meetings with Assigned Mentor

Contact

Please contact Jessica Li at jesli@stanford.edu for any questions.