Boston university clinical and translational science institute - the boston university (BU) ctsi hub sits at the nexus of a research-intensive university, new england's largest essential hospital…

The National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS, CFDA 93.350) at the National Institutes of Health awarded a cooperative agreement totaling $5.801 million to the Trustees of Boston University (Boston University Medical Campus) on August 22, 2026, to establish and operate the Boston University Clinical and Translational Science Institute (BU CTSI) Hub.

The BU CTSI Hub delivers translational science infrastructure and research acceleration services spanning regenerative medicine, data science, and implementation science. The hub leverages a network comprising Boston University, the Boston Medical Center Health System (three hospitals and 13 affiliated community health centers), and the Veterans Affairs Boston Healthcare System (three campuses and seven affiliated health clinics). Additional community partners include the Boston Public Health Commission, Massachusetts League of Community Health Centers, and Veterans Advisory Groups affiliated with the Center for Health Optimization & Implementation Research at VA Boston.

The award funds the hub's core activities: removing bottlenecks in the translational research pipeline through an "Science Without Walls" thematic approach; accelerating health-related technologies, methodologies, and novel data science programs; and training researchers in translational science competencies while building trust and enhancing collaborations with existing and new communities. The hub operates research-focused longitudinal datasets and works to speed the delivery of new treatments to patients across economic strata.

Performance occurs in Roxbury, Massachusetts. The period of performance extends from August 22, 2026, through May 31, 2033. NCATS' translational science mission focuses on reducing costly bottlenecks in the research pipeline to deliver diagnostics and therapeutics to patients faster.

Boston university clinical and translational science institute - the boston university (BU) ctsi hub sits at the nexus of a research-intensive university, new england's largest essential hospital system, and the veterans health administration's most prominent research system. Established in 2008, the hub is comprised of BU, partner boston medical center health system (with its 3 hospitals and 13 affiliated community health centers) and collaborator the veterans affairs boston healthcare system (with its 3 campuses and 7 affiliated health clinics). Key community stakeholders new to our application include the boston public health commission, massachusetts league of community health centers and veteran advisory groups affiliated with the center for health optimization & implementation research at VA boston. We are uniquely poised in this outstanding environment to catalyze translational science to speed the discoveries that improve health across populations. The BU ctsi has a legacy of delivering effective programs that improve the quality of health care and bring new treatments to patients from across the economic spectrum. In this next funding period, the BU ctsi will directly target and overcome translational science roadblocks to substantively advance translational science via an innovative thematic approach "science without walls". We will leverage our hub's unique strengths in regenerative medicine, data science, and implementation science as well as our ownership of nationally renowned longitudinal datasets. We will accelerate health-related technologies, methodologies, novel data science and other programs that expand scientific boundaries to improve health. We will train our research workforce to embody the characteristics of a translational scientist, and will continue to build trust and enhance collaborations with existing and new communities. The BU ctsi strategic goals are to: goal 1. Disrupt the translational research pipeline and processes with creative approaches to overcome translational barriers with the goal of speeding research that improves health and promotes well-being. Goal 2. Develop the clinical translational research workforce of the future through novel training programs for our research community with a focus on research professional staff and community members. Goal 3. Employ rigorous evaluation and CQI methods to assess the impact of BU ctsi programs on individual scientists and mentors, health system infrastructure and care delivery, while disseminating innovative improvement tools and approaches to other hubs and beyond. The BU ctsi's mission is to improve health and well-being of all populations, by advancing innovative translational science that disrupts the barriers that impede the transition from bench to bedside. Ensuring that our new programs are sustainable, generalizable, efficient, and shared across the ctsa program and beyond is core to all activities.