This guide provides resources for faculty transitioning from a mentored career development K award to an established investigator R award.
Award Preparation
Research Development Program (RDP) | ICTS
The ICTS’ Research Development Program provides services for preparing a proposal that can be used individually or as a pipeline leading up to submission. Most services require an ICTS membership.
- Research Navigation
Provides personalized consultation to advise ICTS members about available resources (ICTS Cores, educational options, and funding). - Research Forum Program
Provides interactive feedback from experts and specialists to guide and strengthen project development and grant proposal applications. This interactive review format allows investigators to directly ask questions of the review team in a closed session. - Scientific Editing Service
Works with early career-track investigators and faculty of WashU to strengthen extramural grant applications, manuscripts, and clinical trial reports (supported by ICTS and the Department of Medicine). - NIH Mock Study Section
Offered twice yearly, an expert panel reviews R, K, and F series applications and score them using methods that mirror an actual NIH study section — directly useful for stress-testing an R01 before submission. - WashU Grants Library
Centralized repository of successful NIH, NSF, DoD, foundation, and institutional grant applications (including funded R01s), plus Data Management & Sharing Plan examples and standard Biosketch/proposal language.
Training Grant Resources | OTG
Pre- and post-award support for training and career-development grants, including grant citation requirements, NIH data table guidance, and links to WashU-specific administrator resources.
Academic Publishing Services (APS) | OFPCD
WashU Medicine service offers scientific writing/editing training and an Editorial Services Directory of freelance writers and editors for manuscripts, grant proposals, and other written work, for a fee. Contact Karen Dodson or call 314-362-4181.
Grant Application and Compliance | Becker Medical Library
Becker Library can help with specific areas of grant applications and provide helpful content. They offer a variety of tools for grant application and compliance. Contact Cathy Sarli or Amy Suiter.
The Writing Center & Speaking Studio
The Writing Center supports faculty, staff, and post-docs working on any writing or public-speaking project including manuscripts, grant proposals, conference presentations, application materials, or personal projects. The Writing Center can work with you at any stage from brainstorming to reviewing a draft or practicing a presentation. Contact the Writing Center at writing@wustl.edu or call 314-935-4981.
Pilot Funding Programs
WashU Internal Seed Funding
Find a listing of WashU seed funding opportunities maintained by the OVCR’s Research Development Office.
Siteman Investment Program (SIP) Research Development Awards
Pilot funding for faculty investigators to support cancer research and generate data to leverage further external, peer-reviewed funding.
American Cancer Society Institutional Research Grant (ACS-IRG)
One-year pilot grants (up to $40,000, up to three investigators) for beginning cancer investigators without national peer-reviewed research support — useful for generating preliminary data on the way to an R01. K-award salary support does not disqualify eligibility.
Career Development and Support
Mentoring Liaison Program | Clinical Research Training Center (CRTC)
Trains “Mentor Champions” across T32/K12/KL2/other training programs to run structured mentoring curricula for trainees and mentors, reinforcing the mentored relationships that support a K-to-R01 trajectory.
KL2 Career Development Award | CRTC
Mentored award for junior faculty building toward independent funding — relevant for those earlier in the K stage, or as a model for what comes before an R01 push.
SLeD (K Awards) Seminar Series | CRTC
Recurring seminar series open to all independent K-award holders at WashU Medicine. Topics rotate through the academic year and include a session titled “Making K to R Transition,” alongside sessions on non-NIH funding in a tight environment, preparing promotion packets, and using AI in research.
Lead Your Lab | OFPCD
This two-day workshop is specifically designed for early career faculty (Instructors and Assistant Professors) who lead research teams.
WashU Offices
Institute of Clinical and Translational Science (ICTS)
The ICTS is the academic hub for clinical and translational science in Missouri, building on three translational research pillars: infrastructure and support, education, and scientific collaborations. Based on these principles, the ICTS has transformed culture and practice around translational research at WashU and the BJC HealthCare system, while fostering partnerships with Saint Louis University (SLU), the University of Health Sciences and Pharmacy in St. Louis, and the University of Missouri-Columbia (MU). Contact the ICTS at icts@wustl.edu.
Clinical Research Training Center (CRTC)
As the educational core of the ICTS, the CRTC provides a cohesive and supportive infrastructure to advance clinical and translational research training and career development for undergraduate scholars, postbaccalaureate scholars, predoctoral trainees, postdoctoral scholars, fellows, staff, and junior faculty. Contact the CRTC at crtc@wustl.edu or call 314-454-8224.
Office of Faculty Promotions & Career Development (OFPCD)
Provides support and variety of services to faculty at every stage. Offering career development, trainings, coaching, networking, and more. Contact the OFPCD at medfacultyoffice@wustl.edu or call 314-747-0808.
Research Development Office (RDO)
The Research Development Office guides faculty in the pursuit of research funding, the formation of cross-disciplinary science teams, and the development of collaborative research center proposals.