What is CORRT?
Where are the training opportunities located?
How much is the grant budget for each Scholar?
What are indirects?
What are allowable costs?
Why multidisciplinary clinical research?
If I have already studied under a K award, am I eligible for this program?
What career stage should potential CORRT Scholar be at?
Are non-U.S. citizens eligible for this award?
Is this just for PhD's? Can someone with a clinical degree apply?
Can I submit a paper application?
If I am accepted but cannot matriculate, can I defer my acceptance to a year later?
What is the process of selecting scholars? How is my application evaluated?
What will selected applicants be called?
How many funded positions will there be each year?
Do I have to train at one of the lead or partnering institutions?
What types of support are provided to each Scholar?
May I apply for 100% salary support from the K12?
What is the duration of support?
Do I have to submit a quarterly report to my CORRT Consultant/Liaison?
How is this program funded?
How many mentors do I need and how do I select them?
What makes someone qualified to be a mentor?
Can I choose more than 2 mentors?
What is required by mentors?
Who can I contact with questions?
How do I access and spend available training and travel funds?
Can funds be reallocated between travel and other expenses, if needed?
If I have money left in my budget after my first year, am I able to carry over funds into the second year?
Am I required to prepare a financial report at the end of the project?
What happens if I secure salary funding from another source during the course of my two year commitment to the K12?
Who can I contact to get assistance with budgeting my funds?
Can someone with a clinical degree apply?
What is CORRT?
CORRT stands for Comprehensive Opportunities in Rehabilitation Research Training. It is a Multicenter Career Development Program for Physical and Occupational Therapists and provides funding for new investigators to acquire the research skills necessary to become independent investigators in rehabilitation approaches. It is funded by the National Institute of Health (K12 HD055931)
Top
Where are the training opportunities located?
Washington University in St. Louis
University of Pittsburgh
University of Delaware
Emory University
University of Iowa
Boston University
University of Colorado-Denver
Colorado State University
Top
How much is the grant budget for each Scholar?
The grant covers up to $100,000 per year towards the Scholar’s salary and fringe benefits. Each scholar also receives $20,000 for research and miscellaneous supplies, and $5,000 for travel per year. In addition, your Home Institution receives 8% of this total for indirects. Scholars are required to devote a minimum of 75% effort for the entire year (equivalent to 9 person months) toward research activities.
Top
What are indirects?
Indirects, also called Indirect Costs or F&A, are costs not directly accountable to a particular project or function but are fixed costs such as administrative overhead. Indirects are usually expressed as a percentage of the total direct costs and are retained by the institution. Use and investment of indirects differ from institution to institution.
Top
What are allowable costs?
Often there are restrictions as to what may be purchased with grant funding such as office supplies – also known as A21 items. However, research supplies, subject recruitment and reimbursement, and computer are usually allowed. Please familiarize yourself with these restrictions or check with your grants administrative office before incurring expenses.
Top
Why multidisciplinary clinical research?
It is our collective belief that to effectively answer research questions related to the rehabilitation sciences, we must bring together researchers whose expertise reflects many disciplines. Researchers solely from occupational or physical therapy disciplines are not sufficient to examine complex research questions. For example, to understand the extent and consequences of low back pain, the perspectives of interventionists such as rehabilitation professionals as well as the views of physiatrists, psychologists, psychiatrists, biomechanists, biostatisticians, health policy people, ethicists, and others is critical to fostering success in the rehabilitation scholar. This crosscutting, multidisciplinary approach to research is especially important now, in this age of rapid scientific discovery.
Top
If I have already studied under a K award, am I eligible for this program?
Yes. However, the cumulative length of time under NIH-sponsored K-series programs should be no more than 5 years. Since the minimum amount of time any one scholar may spend in this Trans-NIH K12 program is two years, he/she may not have had more than three years of support under a previous K program. Furthermore, the applicant would need to justify additional mentored research training or training in a team context. In general, a person would not be eligible is they already had an individual KO1 award.
Top
What career stage should potential CORRT Scholar be at?
CORRT Scholars must be a licensed physical or occupational therapist with a doctoral degree (i.e., PhD, EdD, ScD, DPT, OTD). Applicants are expected to be no more than 3 years beyond their postdoctoral or fellowship training when they enter the program. Also, individuals should not have been a PI on a major NIH research grant (e.g., RO1, RO3, R21), subproject of program project (PO1) or contract (NO1).
Top
Are non-U.S. citizens eligible for this award?
In accordance with NIH policy, the award is only for U.S. citizens or permanent residents. Individuals on temporary or student visas are not eligible.
Top
Is this just for PhD's? Can someone with a clinical degree apply?
CORRT Scholars must be a licensed physical or occupational therapist with a doctoral degree (i.e., PhD, EdD, ScD, DPT, OTD).
Top
Can I submit a paper application?
No, all application and supporting documents must be submitted on-line via the CORRT website.
Top
If I am accepted but cannot matriculate, can I defer my acceptance to a year later?
No. You are welcome to reapply the following year and be considered again with the new applicant pool.
Top
What is the process of selecting scholars? How is my application evaluated?
Scholars are selected by a Selection and Review Committee based on prior training, research, and commitment to a clinical research career, as well as potential to excel in the program.
Top
What will selected applicants be called?
Applicants will be known as CORRT Scholars.
Top
How many funded positions will there be each year?
Three to six positions are available each year and we anticipate selecting 1-5 new scholars each year. The exact number of new CORRT Scholars from year to year will depend upon a number of factors, including the amount and duration of support that new and current scholars require.
Top
Do I have to train at one of the lead or partnering institutions?
Trainees will spend >75% of their time during the first two years of this five year training program at one of the eight lead or partnering institutions. For each scholar, the last three years of the scholars training will be based at their home institution. The institution must agree to protect between 50% and 75% of the scholars time to continue the development of their research career in the environment in which they will develop their academic career. The scholars will continue to have regular contact with their mentors during this time. The scholars will also be developing an independent research program within their laboratory, continue to submit grant applications, write manuscripts, present at national meetings, and attend and present at the CORRT annual workshop for scholars and mentors during these three years .
Top
What types of support are provided to each Scholar?
The program will provide 75% salary support (up to $100,000) for two consecutive years. CORRT Scholars will receive up to $20,000 per year for research expenses or tuition, and up to $5,000 for travel. They may also be eligible for the NIH Loan Repayment Program and are urged to learn about this program.
Top
May I apply for 100% salary support from the K12?
The maximum level of salary support is 75% up to the NIH cap of $100,000.
Top
What is the duration of support?
Scholars will be supported for two years but with an opportunity to apply for a competitive third year.
Top
Do I have to submit a quarterly report to my CORRT Consultant/Liaison?
The CORRT Scholar will submit a quarterly report to CORRTNet using the form available on the CORRTNet site. Phone calls with the CORRT Consultant/Liaison, mentors and scholars should be logged. Twice yearly, in place of the phone calls, a report will be generated on the scholar’s progress based on completing their Individual Career Development Plan and the Mentor-Scholar Progress Assessment.
Top
How is this program funded?
This program is funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
Top
How many mentors do I need and how do I select them?
Mentoring is a critical part of the program and who your mentors are is very important.
You should start by looking online at our Mentor page and looking at the approved Potential Mentor list. You will need to select two mentors who should be from different disciplines. One mentor must be a PT or an OT. You will need to designate who is going to be the primary and who is going to be the secondary mentor. Keep in mind that you will need to get a letter of support from both of your mentors, so you will need to establish a relationship ahead of time with the mentor, if you don't already have one.
Top
What makes someone qualified to be a mentor?
Must have a long-standing track record of successful, independent research.
Have their own funding (i.e., R01).
Must have a successful trainee track record mentoring trainees in academic careers.
Have the time to dedicate to their mentee.
Have the desire to be a mentor and be willing to write a letter of support
.
Top
Can I choose more than 2 mentors?
The grant requires that you choose one primary and one secondary mentor from two different disciplines. One mentor must be a PT or an OT. You can have as many advisors to help your professional career development as you'd like.
Top
What is required by mentors?
Mentors are expected to: meet with their scholar weekly, provide guidance and feedback, help the scholar overcome barriers, monitor the scholar's progress and help guide their research, evaluate the scholar and be evaluated, and participate in program activities when possible.
Top
Who can I contact with questions?
For questions about the application process, contact Kay Bohnert.
For specific questions about the CORRT grant, contact Dr. Michael Mueller
Potential applicants are welcome to contact anyone on the advisory committee.
Top
How do I access and spend available training and travel funds?
You will need to work with your financial office on their processes for accessing funds. Normally, an account is established at your Home Institution to which you should receive monthly reports of your balance. All expenses by the Scholar must meet the guidelines and requirements of the Home Institution. For example, travel advance and reimbursement policies may vary by institution and all training expenses must be applicable to the training experience. Please check with your Sponsored Projects Accounting office to ensure that appropriate procedures and signatures are secured.
Top
Can funds be reallocated between travel and other expenses, if needed?
Yes, funds may be reallocated between these two categories but funds cannot be reallocated to travel or expenses from stipends or indirects, as these items are set amounts that cannot be adjusted.
Top
If I have money left in my budget after my first year, am I able to carry over funds into the second year?
Due to restrictions by the funding agency for this grant, we may not be able to carry forward money from one budget period to the next unless the Scholar started the program mid-year. The budget period begins on September 1st and end August 31st of each year.
Top
Am I required to prepare a financial report at the end of the project?
You are not required to submit a financial report at the end of your project but you will be required to submit a summary of your research activities and an evaluation for the annual Progress Report.
Top
What happens if I secure salary funding from another source during the course of my two year commitment to the K12?
Scholars are encouraged to obtain their own funding through private foundations or through federal funding. Obtaining some types of grants may require that the scholar come off the K12 completely (i.e., an individual KO1 or a large RO1). Other grants (i.e., R21, RO3, foundation grant), may supplement research activities, and may or may not require modification of the K12 funding, but not require the scholar to come off the CORRT K12 funding.
Therefore, we require that any scholar who receives any type of additional funding to notify CORRT (Kay Bohnert) of the award (amount, duration, funding agency) and the plan of action about how the award will affect your training on the K12. Scholars should submit a specific request regarding continued CORRT funding and a rationale for this request. If continued funding on CORRT is requested, the scholar should specify how their additional funding will supplement rather than duplicate their funding on the CORRT. Indicate clearly if specific aims or percent effort on the CORRT will be modified.
Top
Who can I contact to get assistance with budgeting my funds?
If you need assistance in setting up a budget, your Home Institution may be able to provide assistance or contact Maria Renner, Business Manager for the Program in Physical Therapy at Washington University at 314-286-1405 or rennerm@wustl.edu.
Top
Can someone with a clinical degree apply?
Yes. CORRT Scholars are not required to have a PhD. Applicants can have a DPT or an OTD, but they would need to have some formal research training and a history of research experience and publication consistent with someone who has had a post doctoral experience. All scholars must be a licensed physical or occupational therapist with a doctoral degree..
Top