$78.4 Million NIH Grant Supports Tufts CTSI to Advance Clinical and Translational Science Research

Tufts Clinical and Translational Science Institute (CTSI) has received a $78.4 million clinical and translational science award from the NIH, the fourth consecutive grant since its founding in 2008. The grant provides federal funding 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 medical and laboratory research into clinical use, widespread medical practice, and improved health care delivery and health policy. It connects people to research resources, consultation and education, and fosters collaboration with academics and community members, with the goal of improving public health.

Over the past decade and a half, Tufts CTSI has provided exceptional services, resources, education and mentorship to support research among Tufts CTSI partners, and conducted innovative research contributing to the field of clinical science and translational.

Harry P. Selker, Dean of Tufts CTSI and principal investigator of the new grant

“While maintaining our integration between Tufts University and Tufts Medicine and adhering to our core principles, we are excited to have the opportunity to further develop our offerings with our long-time partners Brandeis University, The Jackson Laboratory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Northeastern University and RAND Corporation; clinical subsidiaries of Tufts; community and industry collaborators; and now with contributions from our new partner, Kaiser Permanente Health,” he added.

In addition to the main clinical and translational sciences award, Tufts CTSI has also submitted fellowships and faculty career development grants that are being considered by the NIH’s National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS). These are a K12 Faculty Career Development Fellowship (with Principal Investigator Karen Freund) and T32 Research Fellowships (Predoctoral and Postdoctoral, with Principal Investigator David Kent).

“Through this long-term grant, Tufts can continue on the path of promoting collaboration among our researchers, fostering innovation toward the development of new treatments and therapies, and positively impacting the broader healthcare landscape. and health policy,” said Tufts University President Anthony P. Monegasque.

The Clinical and Translational Sciences Award (CTSA) will encourage new initiatives and programs to improve clinical care and health while maintaining existing Tufts CTSI resources and services for the research community. As part of this 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 agenda to directly address important translational hurdles in order to have a positive impact on health.

The CTSA grant will also support an equity and inclusion agenda in research to address health disparities. Additionally, the new grant will focus on the science of dissemination and implementation – moving research into everyday use – and supporting researchers to effectively use clinical innovations.

“Tufts CTSI has provided extremely valuable clinical and translational science training and mentorship opportunities for faculty and staff at our university,” said Caroline Attardo Genco, Senior Vice President and Vice President of Tufts. interim. “The next seven-year cycle promises to bring a new set of innovations from our cross-school collaborations and local and national partnerships that will have transformative impact.”

“This support will greatly enhance our ability to promote research collaborations between our affiliated teaching and research partners with the goal of introducing new, innovative therapies for the treatment of diseases that are yet to be cured,” said Helen Boucher, Dean of Tufts University School of Medicine. and Academic Director of Tufts Medicine. “Ultimately, this will lead to better patient outcomes.”

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

Tufts CTSI is one of more than 60 clinical and translational science award centers that make up the NIH-sponsored CTSA Consortium’s nationwide network of leading medical research institutions. These organizations work together to improve the translational research process to get more treatments to more patients faster, collaborating locally and regionally to catalyze innovation in training, research tools and processes.