TL1 Eligibility and Application Instructions

Eligibility Requirements

Applications must comply with eligibility and submission requirements. Documents or information that are missing or incomplete will disqualify application for review.

Program Eligibility - All Candidates:

  • Must be US Citizens, Non-Citizen Nationals, or Permanent Residents (proof of legal status required)
  • Must have the ability to devote full-time (100% effort) to the program
  • Must have a primary appointment with a Weill Cornell CTSC partner institution.
  • No candidate may apply or hold concurrently a CTSC Seed Funding Award. If awarded, no other Federal funding support is allowed
  • No TL1 Trainee may be named as PI (or trainee) on more than one active CTSC application

Pre-doctoral Candidates:

  • Must have received a baccalaureate degree by date of appointment and be one of the following:

- Pre-doctoral medical (MD) student in 3rd or 4th year

- Graduate student enrolled at a CTSC partner institution

- Nurse candidate enrolled in a DSN or DNP program

- Dental (DDS), pharmacy (PharmD), or veterinary (DVM) student

  • Individual trainee may receive no more than 5 years of aggregate NRSA support at the pre-doctoral level
  • Transitioning from pre-doc to post-doc during the funding period is not allowed by the NIH

Post-doctoral Candidates:

  • Must be early post-docs (no more than 3 years removed from terminal doctoral degree) and have received a PhD, MD, DDS,DVM, DO,DNSc, DNR,DNP or comparable doctoral-level degree by date of appointment. May include:
  • Residents and fellows (e.g. Medical, Surgical) in a research pathway may apply
  • Individual trainee may receive no more than 3 years of aggregate NRSA support at the post-doctoral level

 

Application Instructions

Applications must comply with eligibility and submission requirements. Documents or information that are missing or incomplete will disqualify application for review.

 

  1. To access your application please login to WebCAMP.
  2. Click on “Protocol Authoring and Review”.
  3. Under the “Abbreviated Title” column click on “Your TL1 Research Project Title” to access your application.
  4. Links to required sections listed below (Trainee Application Form, Biosketch and Supporting Documents) are in the upper left hand side of the application.

A.  Trainee Application Form

  1. Click on your current legal status to proceed.

A.      Personal and demographic information:  A valid employer issued/institutional email is required.
B.      If you are not selected for the TL1 Award and wish to be considered for any of the CTSC Education Programs please select from the list of programs proposed (please note, a letter of support from your department chair/division chief is required).
C.      Project Summary – Succinctly describe (250 word or less) your proposed project written in plain language so even a non-scientist can understand the importance of the project. Include the project’s broad, long-term objectives, specific aims, research design, methods, significance, and innovation.
D.      Multidisciplinary Integration – Succinctly describe (250 words or less) how a multidisciplinary approach is integrated into this proposal.  A multidisciplinary approach is one that brings experts from biomedical or physical sciences together with non-biological disciplines including biostatistics.
E.       Mentors - Click on [add] and fill in required information. All mentors must have active or recent peer-reviewed (federal or foundation) funding. Mentors cannot be listed on more than 2 active CTSC applications or current awards (including CTSC Seed Awards). Two mentors are required, but no more than 3 mentors can be named on an application. A Primary Mentor must be designated and each mentor’s role must be listed.  Of the two proposed mentors:

  • One must be designated to serve as a clinical research mentor and one a basic science or public health mentor
  • At least 2 mentors, including the designated primary mentor, must be from different Weill Cornell CTSC partner institutions and from different disciplines. NIH definition of different disciplines will have priority (areas outside biology, e.g., computer science, imaging, chemistry, mathematics, informatics, engineering, behavioral science, health services/outcomes research, and biostatistics). A mentor’s institution will be determined by their primary appointment.

B.  Biosketches

1. Biosketches: Upload individual PDF files for the applicant and mentors; note the new NIH Biosketch format is required for all key personnel.

C.  Supporting Documents – Please Upload Attachments as individual PDF files.

1. Research Proposal: Projects must have a translational or clinical research focus. Pre-clinical studies should have near-term potential to translate into patient-oriented research. Clinical Trials (phases I or II) are permitted. Emphasis is placed on drug discovery, targeted therapeutics, biomarker or device development and novel technologies; projects focusing on comparative effectiveness and health disparities research, health needs of LGBTI and underserved populations and/or directly impacting health outcomes in the community; pediatric and women’s health studies; life course studies of disease; and studies incorporating biostatistical methodologies and design. Basic research proposals will not be funded. Limited to 3 single-spaced pages (at least ½ inch margins, no smaller than 11pt Arial font) to include:

  • Hypothesis and specific aims
  • Scientific background for the study, citing appropriate references of work in the area by the investigator(s) and others
  • Significance of the research (relating specific aims to future studies to be generated) and importance of funding to feasibility of the project
  • Research Plan (research team to be involved, experimental design, methods, statistics, timeline, innovation, human subjects and animal issues, if applicable)
  • References and supporting tables, figures, 2-3 additional pages
  • First Name, Last Name in the upper left hand corner

2.    Career Statement (1 page or less) – Discuss your short and long-term goals and how this award would impact your career and professional development. Please include your First Name, Last Name in the upper left hand corner.

3.    Letters -  Must be addressed to “TL1 Admissions Committee”, on departmental letterhead, signed, and emailed directly from the department to ctsc-education@med.cornell.edu:

a)      Department Chair/Division Chief Letter: Must indicate that the applicant will be guaranteed 100% protected time and effort. 

b)      Mentors Letters: Required from all mentors and the designated primary mentor’s letter must include a mentoring plan (click link for instructions).

4.    Proof of Legal Status: Provide verification of legal status (scanned copies acceptable):

  • US Citizen: U.S. Passport, Birth Certificate, Certificate of Citizenship, or Naturalization Certificate
  • Non-Citizen National: a notary’s signed statement certifying that you have legal verification of such status
  • Lawfully Admitted Permanent Resident:  a notary’s signed statement certifying that you have legal verification of such status and scanned copy of Permanent Resident Card (USCIS Form I-551)

5.       Transcripts and Test Scores – Upload digital copies of test scores and transcripts with application submission. Upon award acceptance, official documents will be required in hardcopy. Test scores include: MCAT, GRE and TOEFL. Transcripts from Undergraduate, graduate and/or medical school.

D.      Submitting Your TL1 Application

  1. Return to the “Application Status Page” (link in the upper left hand side of the page) and click on the blue “Submit Application” button.
  2. If you do not see the “Submit Application” button and feel that your application is complete, please click on the “Run Detailed Completeness Check” link to find out what is still missing, complete the missing items and repeat “step 1”.

 

REVIEW CRITERIA

Upon submission to the online application module ePAR, your application will undergo review based on several Application Review Criteria.

APPLICATION PROCESS & TIMELINE

Applications are due by 5pm on Thursday, January 31, 2019. Candidates will be notified by May 2019 of their applications final disposition.  At that time, if selected for funding, the applicant will complete additional required regulatory and compliance documents within 30 days.  Funding is contingent on submission of this information and failure to do so will result in disqualification.  Upon submission of this additional information, the CTSC will prepare an award agreement. Once the award agreement is signed by the appropriate institutional business official(s), WCMC Office of Sponsored Administration will review and sign the agreement and notify the CTSC that funds can be released.

 

BUDGET NOTES

  • A budget is not due at the time of application
  • Tuition and feesare not supported by the TL1 Award
  • TL1 trainees cannot receive stipend support from any other federal grant
  • Items not allowed: 1) Capital or depreciable equipment over $2500; and 2) Computer hardware (laptops, desktops, etc)
  • Only supplies of consumable nature that are directly related to the project are allowed
  • Funding requests for travel and/or other supplies must be directly related to the project and clearly outlined in the budget justification
  • Each year of funding is contingent on satisfactory participation in the CTSI TL1 activities and progress toward the scholar's individual career goals, and continued support from the Scholar's mentors and department
  • This is an institutional career development award granted to the CTSC at Weill Cornell Medical, and it is non-transferable; scholars who leave the CTSC Consortium will not be able to continue receiving TL1 funding from the Weill Cornell CTSC

 

For a fast start on spending your award funds:

No expenditures related to human subjects or animals will be permitted until the CTSC is provided with a copy of the official IRB/IACUC letter of approval. Investigators are strongly encouraged to submit IRB and/or IACUC protocols early in order to avoid significant delays in project initiation. Applicants must also be current on institutional compliance regulations.

Questions? See CTEP FAQs, or email CTSC-Education@med.cornell.edu

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