Administrative Staff Fellowship Program
The Penn State CTSI's Administrative Staff Fellowship develops staff leaders in clinical and translational science administration. The one-year fellowship provides training, mentorship and hands-on experience for staff members interested in operational and administrative leadership, research administration and the infrastructure that supports clinical and translational research.
Applications for the 2027–2028 fellowship are due by 11:59 p.m. ET on Nov. 15, 2026.
About the Fellowship
Translational science generates scientific and operational innovations that overcome barriers in research and accelerate improvements in health. Through this fellowship, participants will gain a comprehensive understanding of the infrastructure that enables clinical and translational research to advance.
Staff fellows will engage with CTSI leadership and become integrated members of the CTSI leadership and administrative community. The experience includes participation in selected CTSI administrative meetings, professional development opportunities, an administrative and translational science curriculum and hands-on learning across CTSI programs.
Each fellow also will design and complete an administrative, operational or process-improvement project that addresses a challenge or opportunity within clinical and translational science. Projects should produce practical solutions, tools, processes or best practices that can be adapted across departments, clinics, institutions or Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA) hubs. Priority will be given to projects addressing the needs of rural communities or rural clinical settings.
Program Details and Application Process
During the fellowship, the awardee will:
Receive training and mentorship from CTSI leadership.
Complete an administrative and translational science curriculum.
Participate in selected CTSI administrative team meetings, held monthly or bimonthly.
Conduct a project that generates a practical solution, tool, process or best practice that can be adapted across settings.
Work with a mentor experienced in leadership, identified by the awardee or CTSI.
Meet with leaders and experts in translational science to discuss the project and its potential impact.
Full-time Penn State staff members located at any Penn State campus are eligible to apply. Staff members interested in operational and administrative leadership career paths are encouraged to apply.
Applicants should submit a complete application as a single PDF through InfoReady. The application may not exceed four single-spaced pages, excluding the budget and additional attachments, and should include:
A cover page with the project title, applicant information and a lay abstract of no more than 200 words.
A personal statement describing the applicant’s current role or professional responsibilities, their relevance to clinical and translational science and motivation for training in leadership and research administration.
A description of the proposed administrative project, including its aims, approach, anticipated outcomes, scalability and potential contribution to translational science.
A budget and confirmation of protected time from the applicant’s PI or supervisor.
The applicant’s CV or resume.
A mentor letter of support, if applicable.
Applicants should also address how the project may support scholarly opportunities, such as a poster, presentation or paper, and, if applicable, how it addresses a rural need.
The Administrative Staff Fellowship can fund one award annually. Support may cover up to 0.10 FTE of project-protected time during the fellowship period.
The total budget may not exceed $10,000. If an applicant identifies their own project mentor, up to $2,000 may be requested to support the mentor’s protected time. Funds may not be used to support the mentor’s or awardee’s research projects.
Application deadline: Nov. 15, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. ET
Award announcement: Jan. 11, 2027
Fellowship period: June 1, 2027–May 31, 2028
Applicants must use their Penn State credentials and complete Penn State Single Sign-On authentication before submitting through InfoReady. The complete proposal must be submitted as one PDF document.