The newly created Brown Institute for Clinical and Translational Science (BICTS) is applying for a planning grant to establish a transformative institute incorporating the major biomedical centers in Rhode Island. BICTS will overcome traditional institutional, departmental, disciplinary and organ system barriers that might otherwise impair the interactions of investigators with shared interests in clinical and translational research. Under the leadership of Brown Medical School (BMS), the University of Rhode Island (URI) and BMS affiliated hospitals; Rhode Island, The Miriam, Women and Infants and Memorial Hospitals, in addition to Roger Williams Medical Center, will participate in the institute. Currently, the combined institutions have over $278 million dollars in federal research funding and active training programs in clinical research including fifteen T32s, a K12 program and twenty four K23 recipients. The planning grant will focus on four major areas: governance, establishment of five collaboratories of trans-disciplinary investigators and scientists, eleven cores providing service and resources in critical areas of clinical and translational science and the development of appropriate curriculum, innovative education and mentoring for clinical and translational science from medical student to senior scientist level. Collaboratories will bring ? together investigators from diverse backgrounds with the goal of creating a scientific think tank that ? will act as a generator for new ideas, pilot projects, expanded mentoring and increased efficiency of ? clinical and translational research. Eleven cores will provide focused services and expertise to advance specific clinical research projects. This synergistic, team based approach will also train and foster the creative development of young investigators who are continuing Brown's well recognized tradition of innovative teaching. The innovative structure of BICTS provides a new paradigm for synergistic, transdisciplinary clinical research and training for the 21st century. ? ? ?
