Penn State Clinical and Translational Science Institute (CTSI) is inviting applications for four fellowship opportunities designed to help faculty, researchers and staff develop the skills, mentorship and protected time needed to advance clinical and translational science.
The 2027-28 opportunities include two new programs — the Administrative Faculty Fellowship and Administrative Staff Fellowship — in addition to the existing Implementation Science Faculty Fellowship and Community-Engaged Research Fellowship.
“These fellowship programs reflect CTSI’s commitment to strengthening the people, partnerships and infrastructure that move research into practice and improve health, particularly in rural communities and other populations that experience barriers to care,” said Jennifer Kraschnewski, director of the CTSI and vice dean for research, clinical and translational science at Penn State College of Medicine.
Applications are due by 11:59 p.m. ET on Nov. 15. Fellowships are expected to run from June 1, 2027, through May 31, 2028. Selected applicants will be notified by Jan. 11, 2027.
New opportunities for administrative leadership
The new CTSI administrative fellowships are intended for Penn State employees who want to build expertise in the administration and operations that support clinical and translational research.
The Administrative Faculty Fellowship is open to full-time Penn State faculty members and research scientists at any Penn State campus. The one-year experience will provide training and mentorship from CTSI leaders, exposure to CTSI programs and leadership activities, and opportunities to work with experts in research administration and translational science.
Each faculty fellow will also design and complete a practical administrative, operational or process-improvement project. Projects may address challenges involving efficiency, effectiveness, quality, engagement, workforce or research infrastructure. Solutions should be adaptable across departments, clinics, institutions or CTSI hubs, with priority given to projects that address rural communities or rural clinical settings.
The Administrative Staff Fellowship offers a parallel opportunity for full-time Penn State staff at any campus. It is designed for staff interested in operational and administrative leadership career paths and will provide training, mentorship, participation in selected CTSI administrative activities and hands-on experience across CTSI programs.
Staff fellows will complete a practical project addressing a clinical or translational science administrative, operational or process-improvement challenge.
“Administrative excellence is essential to the success of clinical and translational research,” said Kraschnewski. “These fellowships will help develop leaders who can identify barriers, build practical solutions and strengthen the systems that allow research to make a difference in people’s lives.”
Building expertise in implementation science
The Implementation Science Faculty Fellowship is for full-time Penn State faculty members and research scientists interested in applying implementation science to their research programs. Implementation science focuses on methods that promote the adoption and integration of evidence-based practices, interventions and policies into routine health care and public health settings.
During the one-year fellowship, fellows will build a theoretical, methodological and scientific foundation in implementation science; work with experienced mentors; participate in activities of CTSI’s Implementation Science Core; and apply implementation science principles to a current or new research project. Fellows will also complete an open-access implementation science course, participate in consultations and workgroups, and develop an R-series grant proposal, which is a research project grant through the National Institutes of Health (NIH) designed to support scientific research, or equivalent external funding proposal.
Engaging communities in research
The Community-Engaged Research Fellowship is designed for early-stage investigators at any Penn State campus who are eligible to submit external grant proposals, want to advance their community-engaged research expertise and have a mentor experienced in community-engaged research.
Community-engaged research involves meaningful participation by community partners throughout the research process. Partners may include community members, patients, clinicians, health systems, training institutions, policymakers and others. Fellows will receive mentorship, participate in CTSI community engagement activities, complete a curriculum in community-engaged research and conduct a pilot study or contribute to a study that applies community-engaged research principles.
Applicants should propose a plan that includes training and mentoring activities, presentations, publications and an external grant proposal. Projects involving communities in Pennsylvania — especially rural communities and CTSI-established community partners — are strongly encouraged.