The CER Scholars Program is an institutional K-award from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) to the University of Colorado School of Pharmacy, in partnership with the Colorado Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute (CCTSI), the Kaiser Permanente Institute for Health Research, and the School of Medicine Colorado Health Outcomes Program (COHO). The CER Scholars Program provides three years of consecutive funding for comparative effectiveness research and career development at UC Denver to talented and qualified health professionals. Research topics must be consistent with AHRQ and IOM priority areas for CER. The goal of the program is to help awardees obtain an independent investigator-initiated research award (e.g. R01, R18, R21 or the like) in CER. The award provides 75% salary support (up to $90K salary plus benefits) and $10,000 additional tuition, travel, and research support in each year. Departments must also be willing to provide $20,000 in matching funds each year for accepted scholars. During the three year program, CER Scholars must participate in CCTSI career development training, including the CCTSI Community Immersion Training program in Year 1 and the CCTSI Clinical Faculty Scholars Program in Years 2-3.
Who is eligible? At the time of application, eligible faculty: hold a PhD , MD, DO, DVM, DMD, DDS, or PharmD degree; hold rank of Instructor or Assistant Professor at the University of Colorado or a CCTSI affiliated institution; are U.S. citizens or non-citizen nationals, have been lawfully admitted for permanent residence and possess an Alien Registration Receipt Card (I-151 or I-551), or have another verification of legal admission as a permanent resident; and are members of the CCTSI (to become a member please go to www.cctsi.ucdenver.edu). Applicants may not have any other K award under review at AHRQ or NIH to hold this award.
Who is ineligible? Faculty who have been principal investigators on NIH individual mentored career awards (e.g. K01, K08, K22, K23), research projects (R01), FIRST Awards (R29), sub-projects of program projects (P01), or center grants (P50), or the equivalent are not eligible for appointment under this program. Unlike other mechanisms, CER Scholars may not have a K award under review, nor submit for additional K award funding for the duration of the award.