NIH expands reach of national clinical and translational research consortium

The National Institutes of Health announced that it will provide $200 million over five years to five health research centers to speed scientific discoveries into treatments for patients. The grants were awarded as part of the Clinical and Translational Science Awards (CTSA) program, which is led by the NIH's National Center for Research Resources (NCRR).

"The CTSAs support the innovation and partnerships necessary to bridge the traditional divides between basic research and medical practice," said NIH Director Francis S. Collins, M.D., Ph.D. "The combination of resources and collaboration made possible by these awards is essential for developing and delivering new treatments and prevention strategies."

Now in its fifth year, the CTSA consortium has generated resources that enhance the efficiency and quality of clinical and translational research, such as a searchable database of potential industry partners to aid scientists seeking public-private partnerships to take their research to the next level. Another example is a secure Web application designed to assist scientific teams with research data collection, sharing and management.

The 2011 CTSAs expand consortium representation to two additional states — Kansas and Kentucky — extending the network to 30 states and the District of Columbia. With these most recent awards, the NIH is funding 60 CTSA institutions. The five new institutions are:

Pennsylvania State University, Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, Hershey

University of California, Los Angeles

University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City

University of Kentucky, Lexington

University of Minnesota, Twin Cities

View descriptions of these CTSA awardees at www.ncrr.nih.gov/ctsa2011.

"By creating academic homes for translational research, engaging communities in research efforts, and training a new generation of clinical and translational researchers, the CTSAs are transforming how scientific research is translated nationwide," said NCRR Director Barbara Alving, M.D.

Provided by NIH/National Center for Research Resources