UK CCTS seeks new director for career development and workforce training

LEXINGTON, Ky. (June 17, 2026)  — The University of Kentucky Center for Clinical and Translational Science seeks a tenured associate or full professor to serve as the career development program director for the UKatalyst program.

Application materials will be accepted through Friday, July 31 at 5 p.m. ET.

The UKatalyst leadership position opening follows the upcoming retirement of Thomas Kelly, PhD, who developed the CCTS career development program into a robust resource for the university.
 

A culture of collaboration and learning

The UK CCTS operates on the principle that an individual’s career stage and professional goals — rather than job titles or trainee status — should inform their learning opportunities and professional advancement.

"Our vision is to sustain a culture of learning, collaboration, innovation, excellence and appreciation," said Dr. Katherine Hartmann, director of the CCTS. "We aim to provide an environment where all members of the research community can advance their skills and contribute to a creative research environment that measurably improves the health of the Commonwealth and beyond."

The UKatalyst Career Development Program director will lead a training and education portfolio that spans T32 and K12 scholar programs, workforce development initiatives and regional research partnerships. Key components of this portfolio include  mentoring scholars, fostering interdisciplinary team science and supporting training opportunities for a broad range of research professionals from study coordinators to community health workers as well as  local community leaders across Kentucky.
 

Expanded initiatives in career development

The incoming director will guide an expanding program as the CCTS launches several initiatives to implement and evaluate:

• Translational agility teams: These teams provide salary support so investigators across varied career stages and disciplines can step away from clinical or teaching demands to collaborate on new, interdisciplinary extramural grant applications.

• Dissemination and implementation science resources: Developed in partnership with the CCTS Center for Implementation and Dissemination of Evidence-based Research (CIDER), these resources will provide training to bridge the gap between scientific discovery and real-world clinical and community application.

• Digital learning platforms: These solutions deliver scalable, hybrid and micro-learning opportunities to researchers and staff.
   

Candidate qualifications and application process

Candidates for this position should be a tenured associate or full professor at the University of Kentucky who has a track record of extramural funding involving human participants, a clear understanding of translational science principles and experience in mentorship. This role is an internal, collateral duty assignment that includes a seat on the CCTS executive committee, providing an opportunity to influence research strategy, design educational programs and support scientific investigators across the entire UK campus.

Complete eligibility requirements, a detailed timeline and instructions on how to apply are available online on the CCTS UKatalyst Career Development Program call for applications web page.

 Media Contact: Mallory Profeta, mallory.profeta@uky.edu