After a decade of remarkable research growth and institutional investment, Children's National Medical Center (CNMC) builds on significant strategic recruitments, reorganizations, and collaborations required to create the transformative capabilities of the Clinical and Translational Science Institute at Children's National (CTSI-CN). It has done so in partnership with its academic affiliate, the George Washington University. The specific objectives of our application are to: 1) Provide state-of-the-art, flexible resources required by CTR investigators;2) Promote multidisciplinary clinical and translational research (CTR);3) Strengthen CTR education and training for diverse trainees at all stages of career development;4) Promote demographic diversity and address health disparities;5) Incorporate effective and sustained collaboration with community partners;6) Assure efficiency of CTR from conceptualization through dissemination;and 7) Establish bi-directional collaborations with the CTSA network. The CTSI-CN has innovative features including: a child health focus, especially emphasizing health disparities and childhood antecedents of adult diseases;our relationship with a national network of 1200 community health centers, and in TI strengths in rare diseases and neurodevelopmental disabilities. We have combined certain related CTSA components to provide more closely integrated, investigator-focused capabilities. Biomedical Informatics (BI): provides the backbone informatics support to all CTSI-CN components. Research Education, Training and Career Development (RETCD) integrates, supports, and expands CTR education and training so that it is available from high school through mid-career. A new degree program (MS in CTR) and a certificate program are complemented by diverse educational opportunities for faculty, trainees, and staff at all levels of experience. Specialized programs are available for mid-level faculty to promote their career advancement and mentoring capabilities, and for underrepresented minority undergraduates potentially interested in a career in CTR. Community Engagement and Research/Health Policy (CER/HP) integrates traditional community engagement/research with nationally recognized health policy capabilities. Participant and Clinical Interactions Resources (PCIR) transforms our existing GCRC into a nimble and innovative resource that supports participant interactions at diverse locations including CNMC, outpatient facilities, GW, and the community. Pilot and Collaborative Translational and Clinical Studies: supports transformative ideas by investigators at all career levels. Novel Clinical and Translational Methodologies (NCTM) identifies needs and gaps and supports development of innovative methodologies, especially to support TTR cores. Research Design. Epidemiology, Biostatistics, and Clinical Research Ethics/Regulatory Knowledge and Support (DBE/RKS): provides integrated, investigator-focused resources to assure the quality of research and the protection of human subjects at all stages of research. Translational Technologies and Resources (TTR) supports a diverse group of 15 core functions. Tracking and Evaluation (TE): CTSI-CN activities will be guided and modified by a thoughtful and detailed evaluation plan.
The CTSI-CN provides highly integrated, cost effective, investigator-focused resources designed to overcome obstacles to investigation, promote collaborative research, and be continuously monitored and evaluated to identify when further adaptation or modification is needed. Located in the nation's capital and serving a population of children and families disproportionately affected by health disparities, the CTSI-CN brings to bear unique resources in translating discovery to improved health, particularly in our most disadvantaged populations of children.
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