Via NIH Press - The National Institutes of Health announced today that the University of Cincinnati will become the 39th member of its Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA) consortium. Led by the National Center for Research Resources (NCRR), part of the NIH, this national network of medical research institutions is working together to accelerate the process of turning laboratory discoveries into treatments for patients, to engage communities in clinical research efforts and to train the next generation of clinical and translational researchers.

The consortium was launched in 2006, with new members added in 2007 and 2008. Approximately 60 CTSAs will be connected when the program is fully implemented in 2012. NCRR will award additional CTSA grants this year; more awards are expected in the next several months.In this latest award, the University of Cincinnati will receive $22.7 million over five years. The new Center for Clinical and Translational Science and Training will expand its support for pediatric research through the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center; enhance new translational technologies, including large-scale studies of proteins (proteomics), drug discovery, imaging, nanomedicine, gene transfer and stem cell biology. The center also will increase outreach into the local community, including collaborations with the Cincinnati Veterans Affairs Medical Center.

Additional information about the grant can be found at http://www.ncrr.nih.gov/cincinnati_ctsa.asp. "Among the many strengths of this newest CTSA consortium member is the depth ofpediatric research conducted at the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital — one of thetop pediatric research hospitals in the nation," said NCRR Director BarbaraAlving, M.D. "As part of this national clinical and translational research network,the University of Cincinnati will focus on both pediatric and adult diseasesand will increase the breadth of consortium activity throughout the Midwest,bringing research advances into the communities it serves.

"Since its launch in 2006, the consortium has been: training researchers in the complexities of clinical and translational research through nationally recognized degree-granting programs; leveraging CTSA resources to expand research and training opportunities in underserved states and communities; assembling interdisciplinary teams that include but are not limited to basic scientists, biologists, clinical researchers, dentists, veterinarians, nurses, pharmacists, biomedical engineers and geneticists; partnering with researchers at minority institutions to enhance outreach to underserved populations, local community and advocacy organizations, and health care providers; creating best practices to improve clinical research informatics tools to analyze research data and manage clinical trials; designating technologies for marketing and licensing purposes that will increase global access to research tools; and forging new partnerships with private and public health care organizations, including pharmaceutical companies, Departments of Veterans Affairs hospitals, and health maintenance organizations, as well as state health agencies. A fifth funding opportunity announcement for CTSAs is available, calling for the next round of applications to be submitted by Oct. 14, 2009, with the awards expected in July 2010. More information about this funding announcement can be found at www.ncrr.nih.gov/crfunding.

For more information about the CTSA program, visit www.ncrr.nih.gov/crctsa. The CTSA consortium Web site, which provides information on the current members and the new grantees, can be accessed at CTSAweb.org.The National Center for Research Resources, part of NIH, provides laboratory scientists and clinical researchers with the resources and training they need to understand, detect, treat and prevent a wide range of diseases. NCRR supports all aspects of translational and clinical research, connecting researchers, patients and communities across the nation. For more information, visit www.ncrr.nih.gov.