Indiana Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute (CTSI)

Indiana Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute (CTSI)

The Indiana Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute (CTSI) provides access to resources and expertise, including scientific review, that will accelerate the translation of health sciences research and health care delivery into competitive external grant submissions.

To achieve this, CTSI provides:

• Project Development Teams: These are committees of multidisciplinary researchers who assist investigators in developing ideas/hypotheses into well-designed translational research projects. The teams include expertise in protocol development; biostatistics; IRB/regulatory and nursing support; facilitation of collaboration with other investigators, access to Service Cores on the IUPUI, IU, Purdue and Notre Dame campuses, as well as pilot funding, at one meeting.
• Interactive scientific writing Instruction and opportunities to enhance grant writing skillsets: Facilitate and mediate grant writing sessions with investigators via one-on-one or a grant writing course to promote ability to present the scientific information to their readers and reviewers.
• Resources that facilitate the careers of early-stage investigators and postdoctoral fellows: We offer opportunities to postdoctoral fellows and junior faculty to enhance their grant writing and reviewing skills while networking with colleagues across the state of Indiana and at other CTSAs in the country.
• Pilot funding mechanisms: We support individuals and teams in all areas of translational research in all stages of development (early-stage ideas to grant resubmissions) by providing access to a broad range of internal pilot funding mechanisms.
• Regulatory Support

More about CTSI

• Investigators present early concept ideas, aims page, full grant proposals or grant reviews for feedback.
• Goal is extramural funding from NIH/DOD
• Members include well-funded scientists with experience on NIH study sections with diverse scientific backgrounds and CTSI program leads
• Process- online application
• Regularly scheduled meetings, at least monthly

There are 6 teams based on different content expertise:

1. Community, Healthcare Delivery, & Implementation Science: Supports translational research relating to how to improve health outcomes and promote sustainability in communities, including behavioral science, clinical interventions and access to patients, families, and communities. Strengths include epidemiology, sociology, implementation science, and communications.
2. Concepts to Clinic: Supports a wide range of research projects, including those on the path from basic science and/or animal models to all phases of clinical trials.
3. Human Health & Biomedical Technology: Supports biomedical research innovations related to human health therapeutics and diagnostics by leveraging the major expertise at Purdue University. Strengths include biomedical technologies, nutritional health, analytical chemistry, regulatory issues and intellectual property concerns.
4. Networks, Complex Systems & Health: Supports network science and complex systems research with a health-related focus. Strengths include survey research, social and biological networks, and statistical methodology.
5. Pediatric Sciences: Supports multidisciplinary clinical and translational research projects in pediatric populations.
6. Structural & Social Determinants of Health: Supports basic, clinical and translational research that 1) enables a deeper understanding of how social, economic, and environmental contexts shape patterns of health and wellness, including onset of diseases and disorders, within communities; and 2) informs effective treatments and interventions to promote equitable opportunities for good health and wellbeing.