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K12 Program

College of Medicine Clinician Scientist K12 Scholars Program

The College of Medicine Clinician Scientist K12 program provides mentored, protected research experiences to enhance the development and retention of early career physician scientist investigators. The goal of the COM K12 program is to increase clinical and translational research capacity through the training of junior faculty to help drive research independence. This funding opportunity is only open to junior faculty in the College of Medicine who hold an M.D., D.O., or M.D./Ph.D. (or foreign equivalent).

Scholars appointed to the COM K12 program receive:

  • Didactic training to support their continued career progression.
  • Mentored support to develop an extramural grant application.
  • Professional development opportunities to support their transition to independent researchers.
  • Annual research funding and salary support.

Annual Research Funding

  • Salary support at 40% FTE (subject to NIH Salary Cap)
  • $20,000 in project funds to purchase research supplies
  • $1,000 towards travel funds to attend a relevant scientific conference

Eligibility

  • Full-time faculty appointment in the MUSC College of Medicine at the time of appointment
  • Rank of Instructor or Assistant Professor at the time of appointment
  • Clinical doctoral degree (M.D. or D.O. or foreign equivalent) or a dual degree (M.D./Ph.D.)
  • Ability to commit 40% FTE for training and clinical research activities
  • Candidates must be starting basic, translational, and/or clinical research projects that are based in clinical and translational science

Key Dates

Release Date: April 13, 2026
LOI Submission Deadline: May 8, 2026 @ 5:00 p.m. (optional, but encouraged)
Application Deadline: May 29, 2026 @ 5:00 p.m.
Interviews & Notification: July 2026
Proposed Appointment Term: August 1, 2026 – July 31, 2028

Current Scholars

Charles Terry, M.D., MSCR

Assistant Professor, Pulmonary, Critical Care, Allergy & Sleep Medicine

Leadership

Aimee McRae-Clark, Pharm.D., BCPP

Director, Office of Research Integrity
Professor, Departments of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences and Neurosciences

Susan Dorman, M.D.

Faculty Director, Center for Global Health
Professor, Infectious Diseases

Contact

Diana Lee-Chavarria, MA

Assistant Director, Operations, Translational Science Education & Workforce Development - SC Clinical & Translational Research (SCTR) Institute