The highly prestigious NIH Clinical Translational Science Award (CTSA) was granted to Rutgers University and its partners in 2019 to encourage and enable the development of innovative solutions that will improve the efficiency, quality and impact of the process for turning observations in the laboratory, clinic and community into interventions that improve the health of individuals and the public. Rutgers, with its academic partners Princeton University and the New Jersey Institute of Technology, industries, hospital systems and communities, has created the New Jersey Alliance for Clinical Translational Science (NJ ACTS). In addition to its commitment to the growth of the clinical and translational research infrastructure across New Jersey, NJ ACTS is dedicated to the training of the clinical/translational scientists of the future.

Funded by the NIH CTSA, we developed the first NJ ACTS Fellows program in Fall 2019. The mission of the program is to prepare future generations of translational researchers to leverage the principles of translational science to more efficiently and effectively identify, disseminate and implement new approaches to address current health challenges.

For the 2025-2027 cohort (July 1, 2025 – June 30, 2027), 6 predoctoral fellowship slots are available.

• Request for Applications released: Wednesday, March, 19, 2025
• Letter of Intent to Apply due: Monday, April 7, 2025 (by 5 PM)
• Applications due: Monday, April 28, 2025 (by 5 PM)
• Letters of reference due: Monday, May 5, 2025 (by 5PM)
• Interviews: mid-June 2025
• Award notifications: late June 2025
• Earliest award start date: July 1, 2025

This competitive program offers ‘precision training’, customized to each Fellow over a 2-year period against a backdrop of synchronous and asynchronous learning, seminars, conferences, workshops, and experiential learning opportunities provided by the academic partners – Rutgers University, Princeton University, and the New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT). An NJ ACTS-specific Precision Training Plan to guide training and acquisition of translational science knowledge and skills will be developed with input from the Fellow, the Fellow’s primary research mentor, NJ ACTS Academy Mentors (see below) and program leadership.

Rigorous training in translational research methodology, translational science principles, and interdisciplinary skills, together with a multidisciplinary mentoring program, form the basis of the program. Focused learning, skill-building, and experiential learning activities in topics such as clinical trials, commercialization, health policy, informatics, AI/Machine Learning, biomedical ethics, and community engagement will inform the translational science principles that NJ ACTS Fellows acquire.

As part of NJ ACTS, the Fellowship program offers a distinct platform for its Fellows and their mentors to interact with others outside their primary area of research, engage with domain experts, and explore translational science challenges and successes within and outside the academic research environment.

The NJ ACTS T32 Fellowship Program provides two years of financial support to each fellow (Note: Second year of funding is dependent on successful performance in Year:

• Stipend, tuition and partial benefits consistent with NIH and applicant’s school/institution policy are provided for two years. (Note: Tuition not relevant for Princeton applicants).
• Up to $1,500/year for travel is provided to support attendance at the annual ACTS conference and other related conferences.
• Up to $2,000/year is provided for other training/research-related expenses pertinent to the program.
• Additional tuition support can be requested for fellows who wish to pursue additional coursework relevant to the fellowship program.

Note: Completion of the program’s core curriculum will require an average of 2-3 hours/week, or up to 10%, of the Fellow’s time during the 2-year training period.

Successful participation in the program requires:

• A 2-year commitment.
• Adherence to the Fellow’s customized NJ ACTS-specific Precision Training Plan to guide successful training and acquisition of translational science knowledge and
• Satisfactory completion of the program which includes:
• Completion of ASCENT, an online, asynchronous, Canvas-based program that includes training in:
  • Basics of Translational Research and Science
  • Quantitative and Qualitative Assessments
  • Emerging Technologies
  • From Discovery to Marketplace
  • Sustainable and Equitable Access, Adoption, and Use
  • Complementary Skills
• Attendance at monthly virtual and/or in-person Fellows’ meetings and the annual NJ ACTS retreats.
• A minimum of 24 contact hours of experiential learning chosen from a variety of program opportunities, customized to each NJ ACTS
• Completion of online Research, Ethics, and Compliance (CITI) training.
• Completion of quarterly progress reports and annual assessments.
• Attendance at the annual meeting of the Association of Clinical and Translational Sciences once during the 2-year period.

In addition to the program’s requirements, Fellows are expected to publish their findings in well- respected scientific journals and present their research at NJ ACTS and national conferences. Fellows are also expected to prepare applications for fellowships prior to program completion. In most cases, these expectations are already aligned with their research studies and development plans.

To be eligible for the NJ ACTS fellowship program, applicants must:

• Be a current predoctoral student at Rutgers, NJIT or Princeton University.
• Be in Years 1 -3 of the Ph.D. program at the start of the fellowship (July 1, 2025).
• Be a US citizen, permanent resident of the US or non-citizen national.
• Have a strong science background, as demonstrated by performance in didactic courses, prior research experience and letters of reference.
• Have joined a research team and be able to articulate a mature and complete proposal of the PhD project by the due date of the application.
• Have a research Preceptor or co-Preceptor who is a member of the NJ ACTS Academy of Mentors (see below) or fulfills the requirements of an Academy Mentor and is accepted into the Academy prior to application review.
• Be involved in a research project with strong translational potential and be committed to applying the knowledge acquired during the fellowship program to moving the current research project along the translational research spectrum.
• Be able to demonstrate a commitment to complete the program within the prescribed 2- year period.

The entire application, including attachments, is to be submitted securely online.

1. Using the link provided below, please complete and submit the online letter of intent to apply by 5 PM Monday, April 7, 2025. This step is required prior to submission of a full application.
   LOI Link
   **Following submission of this form, a custom application link will be sent to you via email.  Use this link to submit your full application.

2. Submit your completed application no later than 5 PM Monday, April 28, 2025. In addition to basic contact information, the application must include:
   • NIH Fellowship Biosketch (https://grants.nih.gov/grants/forms/biosketch.htm)
   • Personal Statement in Biosketch – This statement should address: 1) what inspired you to pursue a career as a researcher in your field and 2) how NJ ACTS resources will accelerate or transform your research and/or contribute to your career in the translational science realm. Include your long-term career
   • Thesis Project Description – no more than 2 pages single-spaced. Include:
     • Brief description of your
     • Specific
     • Progress to
     • Given where your research is situated within the NIH-defined translational science spectrum, briefly describe potential pathways that might advance its translational reach, including opportunities, current barriers/challenges, and potential benefit to improve health environments and
     • Primary research mentor’s NIH Biosketch and current Other Support (for Biosketch instructions: https://grants.nih.gov/grants/forms/biosketch.htm; for Other Support instructions: https://grants.nih.gov/grants/forms/othersupport.htm.
       • Research regulatory approvals (only if the protocol names the applicant as PI): IRB and IACUC approvals are not necessary at the time of application, but must be in place prior to the award start date.
     • Names and contact information for 2 referees –
       • • One letter must be from the thesis mentor addressing: 1) the applicant’s qualifications; 2) the mentor’s commitment to guarantee completion of the fellowship within the applicants training period; 3) the thesis mentoring plan; 4) any formal mentoring training undertaken by the mentor; 5) how the applicant’s success will be propelled and enriched by completion of the program; 6) how the primary research mentor’s area of focus and research interests might be advanced by the collaborative opportunities and resources provided by NJ ACTS.
         • Note: If the primary mentor is not a Preceptor in the Academy and does not qualify at this time for that status, a Preceptor from the Academy must act as co-mentor and provide a letter stating his/her commitment to support the applicant’s progress through the program.
         • Letters of reference must be submitted directly to the program team via unique links generated within the online application.

*Princeton applicants only: please note that the application process differs from what is written here. Please refer to https://ctsa.princeton.edu/funding/training-awards for the relevant Princeton funding information and application instructions. For questions and if interested in applying, contact NJ ACTS Manager, Research and Administration, Bianca Freda at biancaf@princeton.edu

Note: Although multiple applications from a single research team are allowed, no more than one trainee from each research team will be accepted. Preference will be given to applicants from research groups that do not currently host an NJ ACTS Fellow.

The following criteria will be applied during the review process. All review criteria are weighed equally:

• Value of the program to the applicant: Does the program offer opportunities outside of those provided by the applicant’s primary area of research, mentor and research team and prior research experience?
• Applicant’s qualifications: Does the applicant demonstrate an acceptable level of proficiency in their current primary area of research? Does the applicant have prior research experience, a strong academic track record and an ability to work as a constructive team member?
• Academic potential: Does the applicant have the potential to engage in and contribute to translational research/science? Is the thesis project of high quality and potentially impactful? Does the thesis project fit within the translational research spectrum?  Does the personal statement and/or reference letters reflect independent thinking and intellectual curiosity?
• Mentor capacity and commitment: Does the thesis mentor (or co-mentor if the thesis mentor is an early-stage investigator) have a strong track record for mentoring predoctoral students? Does the thesis mentor have sufficient funding to support the student’s progress through their graduate program?  Does the mentor’s recommendation letter demonstrate commitment to the applicant’s participation in this T32 program? Do the mentor’s research interests include translational research and the application of translational science tools and principles?  
• Career alignment for translational science: Will an understanding of and appreciation for translational science enhance the applicant’s research career? Is the applicant at the appropriate stage of their training to benefit from this opportunity?

Following the formal evaluation by the review panel, the most promising candidates will be invited to interview with members of the NJ ACTS Fellowship Selection Committee. Final selections will be based upon the initial application as well as evaluations by the reviewers and program leadership.

Active mentoring is a key component of the fellow’s success in the program and it is expected that the primary research mentor has received formal training and demonstrates a genuine interest and knowledge of best practices that foster a supportive environment and successful mentorship for the applicant. NJ ACTS partners offer faculty mentoring resources:

Rutgers University offers faculty a variety of mentoring workshops and training through the Rutgers Connection Network, the Inclusive Mentoring Program, the Faculty Mentoring Program and others.  Over two hundred Rutgers faculty have attended National Research Mentoring Network (NRNM) workshops.

Princeton University offers faculty members a variety of learning and professional development opportunities, including access to mentor training and resources, through the Dean  of the Faculty, the National Center for Faculty Development and Diversity, the Faculty Advancement Network, the McGraw Center for Teaching and Learning, and individual department workshops.

NJIT mentoring programs can be found here: https://www.njit.edu/ite/faculty-mentoring-program

An evidence-informed assessment program designed to incorporate both the mentor’s and trainee’s perceptions of effective mentoring and of an inclusive, safe, and supportive scientific and training environment will be used to assess the effectiveness of each mentoring relationship.

The NJ ACTS Academy of Mentors (AOM) is comprised of faculty from Rutgers, Princeton, and NJIT based on 1) their recognized expertise in a key clinical/translational discipline; 2) their demonstrated commitment to clinical/translational research; and 3) their passion for contributing to the education and training of the next generation of clinical/translational sciences.

All research preceptors for T32  Fellows must be members of the AOM, or under consideration, by application deadline. (Preceptors who are not currently members of the Academy should apply for membership prior to the NJ ACTS fellowship application deadline.)

For a current list of faculty members of each participating institution in the Academy of Mentors, please see: Academy of Mentors (CTRL click)

For Rutgers or NJIT faculty interested in joining the Academy of Mentors, please contact:
Kathleen W Scotto, Ph.D., Program Director.

For Princeton faculty interested in joining the Academy of Mentors, please contact:
Bianca Freda, Manager, NJ ACTS

Kathleen W. Scotto, PhD
Co-Program Director, NJ ACTS Fellows Program
Rutgers, State University of New Jersey
Email: kathleen.Scotto@rutgers.edu
Phone: 973-972-5455

Daniel A. Notterman, M.D., M.A.
Co-Director and Princeton Lead, NJ ACTS Fellows Program
Princeton University
Email: dan1@princeton.edu

Antonina Mitrofanova, PhD
Co-Program Director, NJ ACTS Fellows Program
Rutgers, State University of New Jersey
Email: amitrofa@shp.rutgers.edu

Rutgers University and NJIT administrative point of contact:
Neil Grant, MS, MBA
grantne@rbhs.rutgers.edu

Princeton University administrative point of contact:
Bianca Freda, MPH
Email: biancaf@princeton.edu

NIH award: 1T32TR004782

Logo (for presentations, e.g.):

Publication Acknowledgment

“Research reported in this publication was supported by the National Center For Advancing Translational Sciences of the National Institutes of Health under Award Number T32TR004782. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.”

NIH Public Access Policy

NIH TL1-funded fellows must comply with the NIH Public Access Policy mandating public access to publications arising from NIH-supported research. For more information: https://publicaccess.nih.gov/

NJ ACTS website: https://njacts.rbhs.rutgers.edu/

NIH NCATS website: https://ncats.nih.gov/

These pdf files are examples of the on-line forms; DO NOT USE TO APPLY.

• NJ ACTS Fellow T32 Letter of Intent (LOI) Sample Form pdf 
• NJ ACTS Fellow Program T32 Application Sample Form pdf

Letter of Intent (LOI) can be found at: https://redcap.rutgers.edu/surveys/?s=LA8JLWLP8T37A9DR