Launch to K
Launch to K
The goal of this program is to assist promising biomedical scientists to launch their academic career by writing a K series NIH career development award proposal.
- 65% of CTSI grant-writing program participants who submitted an NIH K award application were funded, compared to a national success rate of 32%
When
January 13, 2027 to May 19, 2027 every two weeks (mostly) on Wednesday from 2 - 4:30 p.m.
Where
Virtual, via Zoom, except for first meeting, which is in person.
Application Due , opens in a new tab
Application Due: November 16, 2026
The goal of this program is to assist promising biomedical scientists to launch their academic career by guiding the writing of a K-series NIH career development award proposal. The individual components of a K-series career development award (or comparable foundation grant) are discussed in a step by step detailed process over the 12 semiweekly 2-2.5 hour meetings.
The heart of the workshop includes peer-to-peer reviews of biweekly writing assignments of grant components: Candidate, Mentorship plan, Career Development Training Plan, the Approach and Scientific Environment and Institutional Support.
Experienced NIH funded investigators will assist in guiding the group and illustrating the various component and of a K award from a grant reviewer's point of view, with assistance from recent successful K awardees. Participants are expected to attend at least 80% of the sessions. Up to 8 participants will be accepted.
Application Deadline: November 16, 2026, 11:59 p.m.
Workshop: January 13 to May 19, 2027, 2 - 4:30 p.m. every other Wednesday
Questions? Contact Katie.O'Shea@osumc.edu or Kymberly.Gowdy@osumc.edu
Full Schedule
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Participant introductions and project pitches (3-minute overview)
• Group discussion: “What makes a strong K candidate?”
• Meet and greet with successful K grant awardees at Ohio State
Assignment:
January 13-20: Watch Bouvier Chapter 5 video on the overview of NIH K awards, timelines and expectations
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NIH 101 overview and go over components of a K grant and K grant review criteria from NIH
Assignment:
January 20-February 3: 1) Review successful K grant applications (these will be in shared drive or emailed to you); 2) Watch Bouvier Chapter 2 video on developing a clear and compelling specific aims page.
*Recommend working on aims page during this time
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Discuss the importance of a concise well written specific aims page.
Instructions on ScienCV NIH biosketch
Assignment:
February 10: Upload a completed draft of Specific Aims and your NIH Biosketch to shared file.
February 12: you will receive an aims page and biosketch to review for one of your peers
February 15: your review of your peer’s aims page and biosketch is due in share point folder
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Peer-to-peer review of Specific Aims page and biosketch.
Facilitators provide their feedback as well to participants on their aims page
Assignment:
February 17-March 3: Watch Bouvier Chapter 3 and 4 video on developing a research strategy. Start drafting experimental approach.
February 22: Upload a finalized revised specific aim page for facilitator feedback
February 25: upload a detailed outline of the experimental approach
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Instructions on structure of the experimental approach and discuss the importance of incorporating in training in approach.
Go through facilitator feedback on outline of approach
Assignment:
March 3-March 17: Watch Bouvier Chapter 6 video on Candidate Background, Career Goals and Training Plan and Chapter 7 on Mentor and Environment. Continue to work on Experimental Approach.
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Instructions on the structure of the Candidate Background, Career Goals, and Training Plan documents.
Discuss any questions/discuss struggles with approach
Assignment:
March 19: Upload a finalized experimental approach document
March 22: you will receive experimental approach to review for one of your peers
March 29: your review of your peer’s aims page is due in share point folder
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Peer-to-peer review of experimental approach documents.
Facilitators provide their feedback as well to participants on their approach.
Assignment:
April 5: Upload a finalized revised experimental approach for facilitator feedback
April 5: Upload Candidate Background, Career Goals and Training Plan documents
April 7: you will receive candidate documents to review for one of your peers
April 12: your review of your peer’s Candidate documents is due in share point folder
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Peer-to-peer review of candidate background, career goals and timeline documents.
Facilitators provide their feedback as well to participants on their candidate documents.
Discuss what is needed in mentor letter and institutional support letter
Assignment:
April 16: Upload a finalized revised Candidate Background, Career Goals and Training Plan documents
April 16: upload mentor letter and institutional support letter drafts (facilitator feedback will be provided online)
April 16: All components of your K grant must be online by 5PM EST. Reviewers will be given what is in your folder on April 19 regardless of whether it is complete or not
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Mock study section of completed applications. Three experienced faculty reviewers will discuss your submitted proposal and render a score.
You will be able to attend in person but not participate in the discussion.
No assignment due
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Discuss the study section review of your grant and how you will address them.
Discuss any questions pertinent to mentor and institutional support letter
Assignment:
May 5-May 19: Watch Bouvier Chapter 8 video on Budgets, letters of support, etc
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Discuss the budget and other ancillary elements of a K grant (non-scorable).
OSU GMO will attend for first part of session to answer questions
No assignment due
K applications due to NIH June, 2027 or October, 2027.