Tufts Clinical and Translational Science Institute received $78.4 million

Tufts Clinical and Translational Science Institute (CTSI) has received the NIH’s $78.4 million Clinical and Translational Science Award, its fourth consecutive grant since its inception in 2008. The grant provides federal funds over the next seven years to support research services, resources, and educational programs, and local, regional, and national initiatives. The award was announced by Tufts University and Tufts Medicine on June 7.

Tufts CTSI accelerates the translation of laboratory and medical research into clinical use, expanding medical practice, and better delivery of healthcare and health policy. It connects people to research, consulting, and educational resources, and fosters collaboration with scholars and members of the public, with the goal of improving public health.

“Over the last decade and a half, Tufts CTSI has provided outstanding services, resources, education, and mentorship to support research across Tufts CTSI partners, and has conducted innovative research that contributes to the fields of clinical and translational science,” said Harry P. Selker, dean of Tufts CTSI and principal investigator of the new grant.

“While maintaining our integration across Tufts University and Tufts Medicine and adhering to our basic principles, we are pleased to have the opportunity to further expand our offerings together with our longtime partners Brandeis University, Jackson Laboratory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Northeastern University, and the RAND Corporation. ; Tufts clinical affiliate; community and industry collaborators; and now with contributions from our new partner, Kaiser Permanente Health,” he added.

In addition to the major Clinical Science and Translation Awards, Tufts CTSI has also been awarded a research fellowship and faculty career development component grant that is being considered by NIH’s National Center to Advance Translation Sciences (NCATS). These are for the Faculty’s K12 Career Development grant (with principal investigator Karen Freund), and the T32 Research Grant award (predoctoral and post-doctoral, with principal investigator David Kent).

“With this long-term grant support, Tufts can continue to promote collaboration among our researchers, drive innovation to develop new treatments and therapeutics, and positively impact the wider public health and health policy landscape,” said Tufts University President Anthony P. .Monaco.

The Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA) will foster new initiatives and programs to improve clinical and health care while preserving Tufts CTSI’s existing resources and services to the research community. As part of the new award, in addition to providing resources to the Tufts community and beyond, Tufts CTSI will have the opportunity to advance its own clinical and translational science research programs to directly overcome significant translational barriers to positively impact health.

The CTSA grant will also support equity and inclusion programs in research to address health disparities. In addition, these new grants will focus on the dissemination and application of knowledge—moving research into everyday use—and supporting researchers in using clinical innovations effectively.

“Tufts CTSI has provided invaluable clinical and translational science training and mentoring opportunities for faculty and staff throughout our university,” said Caroline Attardo Genco, chancellor of Tufts and senior vice president temporary ad. “The next seven-year cycle promises to be a new chapter of innovation stemming from our cross-school collaborations and local and national partnerships that will have a transformative impact.”

“This support will greatly enhance our ability to promote research collaboration among our teaching affiliates and research partners with the goal of introducing new and innovative therapies for the treatment of pending diseases,” said Helen Boucher, dean of the Tufts University School of Medicine and Tufts chief academic officer. medicine. “Ultimately, this will lead to better patient outcomes.”

“As an integrated health learning system, Tufts Medicine strongly supports CTSI’s goals of improving healthcare delivery, operational efficiency, value, outcomes, and the patient care experience,” said Michael Dandorph, president and CEO of Tufts Medicine. “This award demonstrates our commitment to embedding clinical research and translation into patient care for all the diverse communities we serve.”

Tufts CTSI is one of more than 60 Clinical and Translational Science Award centers comprising a network of leading medical research institutions sponsored by the NIH CTSA Consortium. These organizations are working together to improve translational research processes to get more care to more patients faster, collaborating locally and regionally to catalyze innovation in training, research tools, and processes.