About the Program
CKRT is a Yale–UConn Health research training program preparing predoctoral and postdoctoral scholars for careers in kidney, urologic, and hematologic (KUH) research.
Overview
The escalating burden of kidney, urologic, and hematologic diseases highlights the urgent need for skilled researchers to develop innovative strategies for prevention, diagnosis, and treatment. While advances in research technologies offer unprecedented opportunities, progress is impeded by a shortage of trained investigators. The Connecticut KUH Research Training (CKRT) program addresses this gap by cultivating a wide cohort of predoctoral and postdoctoral trainees committed to research-focused careers in these critical fields.
CKRT encourages a collaborative environment between Yale and UConn Health, providing rigorous mentorship and sponsorship alongside a state-of-the-art curriculum. Trainees gain access to the extensive research opportunities and KUH expertise available at both institutions, with the goal of developing the next generation of leaders in KUH research.
Program aims
Aim 1 · Mentored training
Establish and lead a comprehensive mentored training program to cultivate exceptional predoctoral and postdoctoral scholars, with collaborative research spanning the full spectrum of translational investigation in nephrology, hematology, and urology. Each trainee has a mentor-trained primary research mentor and a mentoring team focused on research success and career development.
Aim 2 · Trainee network
Cultivate a robust, cross-disciplinary trainee network. By promoting peer-to-peer interaction and fostering cohort development across all training stages, CKRT builds a dynamic community — through virtual and in-person platforms — that advances career growth and engagement in the NIDDK/KUH mission areas.
Aim 3 · Curriculum
Design and implement a curriculum that equips trainees with the skills for successful independent research careers. It emphasizes written and oral communication, culminates in a competitive F- or K-series grant application, and includes team science training and exposure to emerging KUH research areas.
Aim 4 · Evaluation
Establish a comprehensive evaluation system to monitor effectiveness and guide ongoing improvement — drawing on trainee feedback, outcomes data, Individual Development Plan reviews, and input from the External Evaluation Board and Internal Advisory Committee.
Program structure: four cores
CKRT is organized into four coordinated cores. The Administrative, Networking, and Professional Development Cores operate under the U2C component, and the Training Core operates under the TL1 component.
| Core | Focus |
|---|---|
| Administrative | Operations, governance, evaluation, and the annual meeting that rotates between Yale and UConn Health. |
| Training (TL1) | Recruitment, mentorship, the core curriculum, and research training across the KUH disciplines. |
| Networking | A trainee-led, faculty-supported peer network, communication platforms, and outreach to students. |
| Professional Development | Communication, team science, leadership, wellness, entrepreneurship, and career development. |
Participating institutions
CKRT is a collaboration between Yale and UConn Health, engaging more than 45 expert preceptors across departments including Medicine, Public Health, and Biomedical Engineering. Trainees benefit from research strengths spanning genomics, epidemiology, bioengineering, computational science, and clinical trials.
Leadership
Funding
This program is supported by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) of the National Institutes of Health as a U2C–TL1 award under grant number [U2C/TL1 award number]. Its content is solely the responsibility of the program and does not necessarily represent the official views of the NIH.