There are several funding opportunities available for students who wish to enroll in the programs in clinical and translational science. Before applying to a CTS track, students should consult Victoria King, PhD, at the Center for Clinical and Translational Science to determine which funding opportunities might be available to them.

Students employed by the University of Kentucky (including medical residents and fellows, staff, faculty, and postdoctoral scholars) may be eligible for tuition waivers for a maximum of eight hours of coursework per semester. You can find information about the University’s employee education program on the human resources webpage.

The CCTS KL2 Career Development Program is a research training and funding opportunity for junior faculty to foster a career in clinical/translational research. Didactic coursework, mentored research, and multidisciplinary teamwork are offered to develop the skills necessary to build a well-funded collaborative research career. The goal of the program is to help awardees ultimately obtain an individual career development award or an independent investigator (i.e. R01) award.

KL2 Scholars receive salary support each year for up to two years with adequate progress to cover 75 percent assigned effort at current salary level or up to a maximum of $90,000 base, plus fringe benefits. Up to $20,000 per year will be available for the scholar’s supplies and $500 per year will be available for textbooks. In addition, the program provides $2,500 per year for the scholar to travel to up to two academic conferences (one must be the Association for Clinical Research Training (ACRT) in Washington, DC in the spring of each year).

For more information about eligibility, application process, and selection criteria for this competitive award, please refer to the Center for Clinical and Translational Science website. 

The CCTS TL1 Predoctoral Training Program provides junior trainees with the skills required to develop a career in multidisciplinary clinical and translational research. The program uses a team-science approach and provides mentoring and didactic training for predoctoral students performing clinical and/or translational research in health-related fields.

TL1 trainees will initially receive one year of funding, including a stipend and a $1,000 travel allowance to attend and/or present research at one conference. A second year of funding may be awarded based on performance and progress.

For more information about eligibility, application process, and selection criteria for this competitive award, please refer to the Center for Clinical and Translational Science website.  

CCTS Certificate Scholars are eligible for a competitive seed grant award for up to $5,000 to support the research practicum and career development. These funds should be used to carry out a proposed research project and cannot be used for support.

For deadlines, criteria, and application materials, please refer to the Center for Clinical and Translational Science website.

Predoctoral and postdoctoral fellows in the Research Training in Drug Abuse Behavior program are funded according to current National Institutes of Health stipend levels:

Predoctoral for institutional training grants (T32, T35, T90, TL1) and individual fellowships (F30, F31): One stipend level is used for all predoctoral candidates, regardless of the level of experience. 

Postdoctoral for institutional training grants (T32, T90) and individual fellowships (F32): The stipend level for the entire first year of support is determined by the number of full years of relevant postdoctoral experience when the award is issued. Relevant experience may include research experience (including industrial), teaching assistantship, internship, residency, clinical duties, or other time spent in a health-related field beyond that of the qualifying doctoral degree. Once the appropriate stipend level has been determined, the fellow must be paid at that level for the entire grant year. The stipend for each additional year of Kirschstein-NRSA support is the next level in the stipend structure and does not change mid-year. 

For more information about NIH stipends, please see this page. 

NIH Stipend Levels

Individual faculty in the department of behavioral science may have funding to support graduate students from other departments as research assistants. To inquire about research opportunities with individual faculty members, contact them directly: behavioral science faculty.

Students currently enrolled in other graduate programs at the University of Kentucky may be able to use certificate courses to meet their program requirements.

Tuition waivers/scholarships may be available through the Center for Clinical and Translational Science on a limited basis. Contact Vicky King, PhD for details.