Contents
CTSAs in Focus
Updates on the Clinical and Translational Science Awards
Web Resource for Research Collaborations
Collaborating across community- and practice-based research sites enables researchers to pool data; reach larger, more diverse populations; and ensure rapid dissemination. However, physical distance can serve as a barrier. A new Web site, ResearchToolkit.org, offers scientists state-of-the-art resources to support collaborations among multiple institutions.
Launched in October 2009, the site is part of the Partnership-driven Resources to Improve and Enhance Research (PRIMER) project.
Visit ResearchToolkit.org to explore best practices and vital resources for conducting all stages of research.
CTSpedia Expands With Recovery Act Funds
A recent American Recovery and Reinvestment Act grant to the University of Rochester Clinical and Translational Science Institute (CTSI) will help enhance and expand CTSpedia.org, a resource created by and for clinical and translational science researchers. The goal is for CTSpedia to become a self-sustaining resource for clinical and translational investigators worldwide.
Originally developed with CTSA pilot project funds and broadened further with CTSA supplemental funding, CTSpedia features information on biostatistics, ethics, research design, data management, grants and recruitment. Researchers anywhere in the world can register to search its free online collection of best practices, tools and educational materials for clinical and translational research. Scientists also can ask questions and receive timely advice on specific research problems.
The University of Rochester CTSI is collaborating with a team of other CTSA institutions on this endeavor. Learn more about this free resource.
New Registry Connects Volunteers With Researchers
In November 2009, NIH announced the first nationwide online registry to connect researchers with volunteers interested in participating in clinical studies. Led by Vanderbilt University, ResearchMatch.org allows volunteers to register with the site by creating a profile. Researchers can then search profiles and contact volunteers regarding studies that may be of interest to them. The site is free; easy to use; and disease-, study- and location-neutral. All personal information is protected until a volunteer authorizes the release of information to a researcher. A consortium of CTSAs helped design the registry, and a majority of the CTSA institutions are participating.
Volunteer Information and a List of Participating Institutions
Web Page Highlights CTSA Consortium Advances
A new page on the CTSA website features consortium-created research tools and resources in areas including education and career development, public and private partnerships, community engagement, informatics, research design, and communications.
Listed below are some of the resources accessible via the new page:
- Educational core competencies alert visitors to opportunities for training in clinical and translational science.
- A link to the National CTSA Educational Resource Program website allows scientists to search for relevant educational courses, review course descriptions and find contacts for those courses in one location.
- The CTSA Intellectual Property Portal compiles and shares licensable technologies from NIH and many CTSAs as a way to enhance research and promote private-public partnerships across the consortium.
- A CTSA Pharmaceutical Assets Portal connects researchers with potential investigational drugs that may be useful in new ways.
- Best practices and consortium published papers also are available.
Visit the "CTSA Consortium Advances" page under the "For Researchers" section at CTSAcentral.org.
The Clinical and Translational Science Awards (CTSA) program created a national consortium designed to transform how biomedical research is conducted across the country. Its goals are to speed the translation of laboratory discoveries into treatments for patients as well as to train the next generation of clinical researchers. The CTSA program is led by NCRR. More Information
