News Release

Tuesday, June 14, 2011

NIH expands reach of national clinical and translational research consortium

Five institutions to receive $200 million for academic health centers to accelerate laboratory discoveries into patient treatments.

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.

To learn more about how CTSA-supported research is translating basic discoveries into improved human health, visit www.ncrr.nih.gov/ctsa. The CTSA consortium website, which provides information about the consortium, current members and new grantees, can be accessed at www.CTSAweb.org.

The National Center for Research Resources (NCRR), a 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.

About the National Institutes of Health (NIH): NIH, the nation's medical research agency, includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIH is the primary federal agency conducting and supporting basic, clinical, and translational medical research, and is investigating the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit www.nih.gov.

NIH…Turning Discovery Into Health®

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