National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences - Clinical and Translational Science Awards

The National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences' (NCATS') mission is to turn research observations into health solutions through translational science. We work to develop or enhance the development, testing, and implementation of diagnostics

Under NCATS' leadership, the Clinical and Translational Science Awards (CTSA) Program supports a national network of medical institutions that speeds the translation of research discoveries into improved care. Currently, more than 60 leading medical institutions across the nation receive CTSA Program funding. The institutions offer expertise, resources and partnerships at the national and local levels to improve the health of individuals and communities. The CTSA Program also nurtures the field of translational science through education, training and career support at all levels. The CTSA Program Goals are to: - Advance clinical and translational science: develop, demonstrate and disseminate scientific and operational innovations that improve the efficiency and effectiveness of clinical translation from identification to first-in-human studies to medical practice implementation to community health dissemination. - Promote partnerships and collaborations to facilitate and accelerate translational research projects locally, regionally and nationally. - Create, provide, and disseminate innovative research programs and partnerships across institutions and communities to address health needs of their populations and deliver the benefits of translational science to all. - Create and implement scientific and operational innovations that increase the quality, safety, efficiency, effectiveness and informativeness of clinical research. - Provide a national resource for the rapid response to urgent public health needs. - Create, provide and disseminate clinical and translational science training programs for clinical research professionals of all disciplines on the research team. - Create, provide and disseminate clinical and translational science training and career support programs for translational scientists. - Foster the development of the emerging field of translational science.

The CTSA application may include domestic institutions of higher education, universities, medical research institutions / academic health centers, or non-profit research organizations other than institutions of higher education that conduct clinical and translational research; however, a graduate school accredited to award higher degrees related to clinical or translational science (e.g., M.S. or Ph.D. in topics such as Clinical Research, Public Health, Pharmacology, Nursing, Informatics, Health Economics, or Epidemiology) must be included (applicant or partnering institution). Partnerships are encouraged among various disciplines including medicine, dentistry, nursing, pharmacy, osteopathy, public health, engineering and others.

NCATS is all about getting more treatments to all patients more quickly. A novel drug, device or intervention can take 14 years and $2 billion to develop, with a failure rate exceeding 95%. NCATS is directly addressing this problem by discovering new technologies and other approaches that could greatly accelerate the process of developing and deploying solutions that can be used by all translational researchers. The Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA) Program supports a national, collaborative consortium focused on bringing more treatments to all people more quickly through advancing clinical and translational science. The Trial Innovation Network, inclusive of Trial Innovation Centers and a Recruitment Innovation Center, are intended to serve as a national model for innovation in clinical trial management and operations, participant recruitment, and will facilitate the implementation of multi-site clinical studies by the CTSA network. The CTSA Collaborative and Innovation Acceleration Awards supports synergistic activities that accelerate the translational research process through collaboration and innovation.

The major elements in evaluating proposals include assessments of: (1) The scientific merit and general significance of the proposed study and its objectives; (2) the technical adequacy of the experimental design and approach; (3) the competency of the proposed investigator or group to successfully pursue the project; (4) the adequacy of the available and proposed facilities and resources; (5) the necessity of the budget components requested in relation to the proposed project; and (6) the relevance and importance to announced program objectives and (7) the availability of funds.

The initial review of applications from eligible institutions is conducted by committees comprised of authorities in various fields of biomedical research and science education, as appropriate. Each application is given a peer evaluation for merit. Recommendations for award are forwarded to the NCATS Advisory Council for the second level of review and recommendation for award.

From 15 to 30 days. Principal investigators (P.I.) may question the substantive or procedural aspects of the review of their applications by communicating with the NCATS staff. A description of the NIH Peer Review Appeal procedures is available on the NIH home page http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-11-064.html