Fourteen academic health centers in 11 states are the newest members of NIH's Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA) consortium. This round of awards, totaling $533 million over five years, brings the total number of CTSAs to 38; the program will connect up to 60 CTSAs by 2012.
The 2008 CTSA grants expand state representation in the consortium to Alabama, Colorado, Indiana, Massachusetts, and Utah. They also support pediatric research at 13 dedicated children's hospitals, expand research in genetics and genomics, and increase outreach into local communities. The institutions receiving new funding are as follows: Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University, Boston University, Harvard University, Indiana University School of Medicine, Northwestern University, The Ohio State University, The Scripps Research Institute, Stanford University, Tufts University, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, University of Colorado Denver, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, and The University of Utah.
The continued success of the translational research process is dependent on the ability of clinical and translational researchers to work with each other, NIH, businesses, the community, and the public. Building and sustaining long-term, mutually beneficial relationships is a critical component of the CTSA consortium. To foster these critical connections, the consortium launched a new feature on CTSAweb.org called Building Connections. The new Web page features:
The Building Connections page allows clinical and translational researchers to connect with one another and share their areas of research, establish lines of communication within NIH, stimulate research alliances by identifying opportunities for collaboration among the CTSAs and private-sector organizations, and learn about ways that CTSAs are forming partnerships to further enhance clinical and translational research.
"Perhaps the most unique element of the Building Connections feature is its clear demonstration of the ways that CTSAs are working together with their own business schools to develop innovative programs and leverage key resources," says NCRR Director Barbara Alving. "Many CTSAs and their business schools are working together to develop business plans, design and implement community surveys, and create innovative cross-educational programs." Other examples of CTSA/business school partnerships include developing case studies to pilot programs, collaborating with international colleagues, preparing cost analyses, protecting CTSA-developed patents, drafting marketing plans, and forming unique industry partnership programs. More about Building Connections
The University of California, San Francisco's Clinical and Translational Science Institute has launched a "Cores Search" feature on its Web site, which allows researchers to search for information about more than 90 core research resources within the institute. Users can search and sort data by campus location, resource category, and specific service or equipment. Information about the full range of services available for each core is also accessible. Many CTSAs have included similar features on their Web sites, and it is hoped that this approach will be established across the entire consortium and accessible through CTSAweb.org.