​This program is designed to train outstanding physician-researchers in clinical translational and outcomes research, focusing on early career investigators with an MD, DO, PhD or degree-equivalent, requiring more research training, dedicated mentoring and qualitative and/or biostatistical support to lay the groundwork for career development awards and other grants. The primary goal of the two-year fellowship is to provide existing or new faculty with the building blocks to conduct clinical, translational or outcomes research and, in the future, to be successful in obtaining extramural funding. The fellowship also has a strong curriculum addressing faculty development to ensure that trainees remain in academic positions and advance in their careers. The program offers candidates the opportunity to obtain advanced degrees through the Graduate School and the Colorado School of Public Health and chosen applicants have the opportunity to apply for ACCORDS pilot awards to cover in-depth analytical support.

Key Components of the SCORE Fellowship

This two-year fellowship requires 50% protected time for research and education.  

1. Individual Resear​ch   

At the beginning of the fellowship, fellows will work with their mentors to identify a mentorship team and a research theme. Completion of at least one independent project requiring study design, data collection, and statistical analysis will be required; many fellows complete more than one project during the program. We also expect fellows to submit four manuscripts for publication during the two years they are in the program. Weekly work in progress (WIP) sessions allow each fellow to develop researchable questions, discuss methods, review data collection instruments, discuss actual output from statistical analyses, practice presentation of abstracts and posters in preparation for scientific meetings, and comment on sections of manuscripts in preparation.

2. Mini-Co​urses  

The fellowship includes mini-courses on a range of topics such as secondary data analysis, preparing an IRB application, writing an excellent abstract and manuscript, community-based participatory research, qualitative methods, and community engagement, among other topics. All fellows also participate in a rigorous grant-writing course and have the option to participate in a nine-session intensive manuscript-writing course. 

3. Coursework

Concurrent with the program, fellows are encouraged to take classes in the Colorado School of Public Health or the Graduate School if they do not already have an advanced research degree. Recommended courses include Biostatistics I and II, Epidemiology, Research Methods, SAS, and Survey Design. Tuition is not covered by the SCORE program. Fellows are encouraged to use their faculty tuition benefit or make additional arrangements with their Division or Department to cover tuition costs. If a Master’s degree is desired, fellows should also apply to appropriate program (e.g. Masters in Clinical Science program at the Graduate School, Masters in Public Health program at the Colorado School of Public Health). Please check the deadlines and apply to the relevant Master’s degree program to ensure you are enrolled prior to class registration. Most Master’s degree tracks have an application deadline in the spring for coursework beginning in the fall if you would like to pursue a full degree program. Degree-seeking students are prioritized over non-degree-seeking students in course enrollment.

4. Strong Mentorship  

The program is led by a multidisciplinary team of established researchers. Each fellow is assigned a primary fellowship mentor and encouraged to identify a mentorship team from the research faculty at the University of Colorado School of Medicine and the Colorado School of Public Health. 

Our core faculty members include: 

• Jacinda Nicklas, MD, MPH, MA (Director)
• Matthew F. Daley, MD
• Sean O’Leary, MD, MPH
• Darcy Thompson, MD, MPH
• Kathryn Colborn, PhD, MSPH
• Brooke Dorsey, PhD

To Apply to the Prog​ram 

SCORE Fellowship Application Criteria:

1. Must be a current or prospective regular/affiliated faculty at the University of Colorado. 

2. Must be a physician (MD or DO), DDS, DMD, PharmD or doctorally-trained non-physician (PhD or equivalent). Other health professional degrees will be considered on a case-by-case basis. 

3. Prior experience in clinical research including training in epidemiology, biostatistics, and research design is preferred for applicants, but not required. 

4. Must not have any current or prior funding as a principal investigator at the R01 level or equivalent. Individuals with a current career development award (K-award or equivalent) are eligible. 

5. Must have the support of the applicant’s home department/division; at least 50% protected time for research and fellowship activities during the 2 years of enrollment in SCORE with salary support for that protected time; and an agreement to fund the program costs. 
   Base program costs paid by the sponsor are $28,000 per participant per year for two years (July 2026 to June 2028). Fellows need to have funding or their department’s commitment to cover an additional $12,000 for in-depth quantitative or qualitative analytical support each year.  Applicants chosen will have the opportunity to apply for ACCORDS pilot awards to cover the costs of intensive analytical support for their research projects in their first or second year. 

6. Must be willing to plan around Monday afternoon mini-course lectures and work in progress sessions (1:00pm-5:00pm weekly). 

7. Should have mentorship needs that are not fully addressed within the faculty member’s home department or division, or new to campus and in need of establishing a new local mentorship team. 

 

 

 

APPLICATIONS are DUE March 2026

To apply:

Please send the following documents to [email protected]:

1-2 page statement of Research Goals

1-2 page statement of Career Development Plan and Mentorship Needs

 

Current curriculum vitae

 

Up to 2 Letters of Support – Must include a letter of support from the candidate’s department chair/division chief at the University of Colorado or affiliated institutions addressing research and career plans and assuring departmental/divisional tuition for the $28,000 base cost of the program each year and the additional $12,000 per year ($40,000 total per year) should the fellow not have their own funding for in-depth quantitative or qualitative analytical support. This letter of support from the candidate’s department chair/division chief should also specify a commitment to covering the 50% FTE time commitment and related salary support. It is fully acceptable as the only letter of support for the application.  As mentioned above, applicants chosen will have the opportunity to apply for ACCORDS pilot awards to cover the costs of intensive analytical support for their research projects in their first or second year. In the event that a department chair/division chief has authorized the additional $12,000 for annual coverage of in-depth analytic support and the candidate wins a pilot award, those funds will be returned to the respective department’s speedtype. 

 

The fellowship does not adhere to a match date, and therefore schedules interviews at the convenience of the applicant and of the admissions committee. Applicants are encouraged to provide their materials by March 15, 2026. Fellows admitted into the program begin on July 6th.  

The University of Colorado encourages applications from women and minority candidates.​

For additional questions regarding logistics, how to apply, or details about current and previous fellows please contact Rebecca (Becca) Speer at [email protected].