'Finding your people': How the UK CCTS K12 fosters lifelong community and institutional investment
LEXINGTON, Ky. (Sept. 30, 2026) — For clinician-scientists and early-career researchers balancing clinical care, teaching and scholarship, carving out space to build an independent research program can feel daunting. But as applications for next the UK CCTS K12 Career Development Program are being considered, prospective candidates have an experienced advocate in their corner: Matthew Bush.
A professor, surgeon and chair of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery, Bush began his research journey at the University of Kentucky as an assistant professor navigating those exact clinical and academic demands. He received a boost in his endeavors when selected for K12 program, which provides protected research time, training, mentorship and interdisciplinary connections. Today, in a true full-circle milestone, he is stepping up to serve as one of the program leads for the incoming K12 cohort — guiding the next generation of scholars through the same transformative pipeline that shaped his own career.
Watch a video interview with Matthew Bush on YouTube.
"The K program was about a community. I found my people who were other K scholars, K mentors, and felt a sense of connection, a sense of belonging... For me to be able to be a recipient of that grant was an amazing honor, to be a mentor was another degree of honor, and now to be in the leadership for the K program is really a dream come true."
— Matthew Bush
A place of acceptance and fresh perspectives
Research carries inherent hurdles, from manuscript roadblocks to study design setbacks. Having walked that path as a scholar and a mentor, Bush emphasizes that the daily environment cultivated within the K program is intentionally designed to dismantle those barriers through peer collaboration.
"Researchers all face a mental block, a research block, and feel like, 'I just don't know where to go next,'" Bush explained. "Getting some fresh ideas and perspectives are what these works-in-progress are all about."
Rather than overloading scholars with meetings, the program offers a protected space where researchers can explore unfamiliar areas, test new ideas and solve problems collaboratively alongside seasoned mentors and cross-campus peers.
As he prepares to welcome the new cohort of scholars, Bush underscores that the K12 program represents a tangible institutional investment from the University of Kentucky toward an investigator's long-term future.
"I think K scholars can feel that this is not just an award to put on their CV, but this is an award that will be working for them to help move their career forward," Bush said. "It's about giving you the freedom to innovate and create, and to recognize that this is someone that the institution is invested in and that we value you being here."
Applications for the UK CCTS K12 Career Development Program are open now through October 7. To learn more about eligibility criteria and applicant guidelines, visit the UK CCTS K12 Application Announcement.
