Do you know the “K” that designates NIH’s career development awards is actually short for ‘kangaroo’? Just as a mother kangaroo provides support and care for its joey, the mentoring team guides the mentee to become a scientist in a metaphorical marsupial pouch. This analogy illustrates how assembling the right mentoring team is integral to the success of the application.
Rasheed Gbadegesin, Associate Dean for Physician-Scientist Development, moderated the most recent Young Physician-Scientist seminar entitled “How to Write a Successful K Application” with panelists from Vanderbilt University, Washington University in St. Louis, University of Texas-Southwestern, Weill Cornell, and Duke University. The seminar was highly successful, with 749 registrants and an attendance of 426 people.
Key Insights:
- Applicants need to make sure that there is synergy with every piece of the application
- Select a primary mentor who ideally has a strong history of NIH funding and enough funding to support the project
- Do not force anything with the intention of it looking good; the project and mentoring plan need to coalesce naturally
To view a recording of the seminar, click the button below.