Overview
This page lists various research resources put together by Tufts CTSI’s support programs. They include self-service tools, unique databases, topical guidance, and opportunities for customized feedback to help you:
- Start and manage research projects
- Access and work with data
- Navigate compliance and regulatory processes
- Build research and translational skills
Browse the catalogue below to get started. Please also consult our comprehensive list of services. As always, we invite you to discuss your needs with a Research Navigator.
Clinical Research Informatics and Data
REDCap (Research Electronic Data Capture)
A secure, HIPAA-compliant, web-based application that is widely used for electronic capture and management of clinical study and other research data. REDCap accounts are offered at no cost to investigators, faculty, and staff involved in health research at any Tufts CTSI partner institution.
Researchers can use this HIPAA-compliant platform for rapid cohort discovery and analysis across de-identified data from Tufts Medical Center.
Tufts Medicine Research Data Warehouse (TRDW)
TRDW was developed by Tufts CTSI as an optimized repository for clinical and translational research using current and historical Tufts Medicine EHR systems.
National COVID Cohort Collaborative (N3C) Data Enclave
An NCATS-supported platform containing clinical COVID-19 data from Tufts Medicine and many other academic medical centers from across the country. N3C represents one of the largest secure collections of harmonized clinical health data in the US, with information from over 3.3 billion clinical observations on 21.99 million patients, including 8.91 million COVID-19 cases.
Kaiser Permanente (KP) Research Bank
Tufts CTSI facilitates affiliated researchers’ access to Kaiser Permanente’s shared biorepository resource, which contains genotypic data, health and lifestyle data, and longitudinal medical record data for a very large population of participants.
Tufts Analytics Discovery Platform (TAP Discovery)
TAP Discovery was developed by Tufts CTSI to provide clinical and translational researchers with an accessible infrastructure for data-driven modeling. The platform, which encompasses tools and clinical- biological- and chemical-knowledgebases applicable to a broad range of biomedical and health science problems, is designed to enable subject-matter experts without advanced computational science training to deploy AI and machine learning for exploratory data analyses.
Clinical Study and Regulatory Matters
The toolkit provides a blueprint for developing and running Clinical Trial Design Labs, a multi-stakeholder feedback activity used by Tufts CTSI to support investigators planning high complexity clinical trials. Design Labs are facilitated sessions using a scenario design approach to pressure-test study designs and bring to light possible constraints, thus increasing the potential for health impact.
Tufts CTSI developed the Readability, Understandability, and Actionability of Key Information (RUAKI-OA) Indicator to offer a simple-to-use tool for creating key information summaries that facilitate participant comprehension of informed consent documents. Investigators can also access the TIN Informed Consent Toolkit, a set of informed consent best practices developed by the national Trial Innovation Network Informed Consent Workgroup.
An online module containing guidance, checklists, and tools that walk research staff through the process of implementing industry-sponsored human subjects research. The templates and other materials specifically conform to Tufts Medical Center requirements but the information is applicable to other clinical research locations.
Guidance and resources in Data and Safety Monitoring Board (DSMB) practices for investigator-initiated research studies. The manual, produced by a CTSA Collaborative Workgroup, can be accessed along with a collection of information on policies and practices related to clinical study safety monitoring.
Participant Recruitment Strategies
Tufts CTSI’s Recruitment and Retention Support Unit developed a compendium of expert-vetted recruitment strategies. The database is searchable by method, study context, and participant population.
Engagement, Implementation, Dissemination, and Policy Research
Researchers seeking non-research input on their research, including study design, recruitment strategies, etc., can request Tufts CTSI’s assistance in assembling a panel of relevant stakeholders. Participants are identified and selected based on a project’s needs and may include patients, caregivers, community health care providers, advocates, policy makers, and others.
Community-engaged Research Resources
Tufts CTSI’s Community and Stakeholder Engagement Program makes available tools, guidance and educational resources for investigators interested in community collaborations as well as for patients and community members seeking academic partnerships. Both researchers and community partners can also access an interactive database developed as part of an analytical review of available assessment measures and instruments.
Research Process Improvement Toolkit
The toolkit provides an introduction to the application of quality improvement methods in clinical and translational research. The toolkit’s strategies, templates, worksheets and other resources help teams implement project-specific approaches to systematically address commonly encountered research challenges.
This database provides easy-to-access information on firearm safety laws in each of the 50 states from 1976 through 2024. It is the most extensive longitudinal panel of such laws assembled to date.
Funding Opportunities and Project and Grant Development
Small Grants to Advance Translational Science (S-GATS)
The S-GATS program offers one-year grants for innovative and collaborative projects aimed at advancing the science of translation. S-GATS are intended to support proof of concept projects seeking solutions to fundamental challenges or commonly encountered obstacles in translational research.
Fellowship Training and Career Development Awards
Tufts CTSI offers pre- and post-doctoral NIH T32 Fellowship Training Awards in clinical and translational research and two NIH-supported institutional mentored career-development opportunities, the Tufts K12 Clinical and Translational Science Institute (CTSI) Award, which provides multidisciplinary patient-oriented research training, and the Building Interdisciplinary Research Careers in Women’s Health (BIRCWH) Program, which prepares Scholars to research sex influences on health.
Research Studios are structured roundtable discussions organized around a specific project need. Studios are available for projects at any stage of development. A panel of faculty investigators, research professionals, and other relevant subject matter experts from across Tufts CTSI’s network is assembled to provide multidisciplinary feedback and advice on anything from grantsmanship to experimental design.
Translational research is a team-based endeavor. Tufts CTSI’s collection of educational resources, tools and guidance provide practical tools for working successfully within the context of a team.
Research Continuing Education and Training
Tufts CTSI’s interactive learning portal, I LEARN, contains an extensive catalogue of on-demand courses on a range of topics in clinical and translational research.
A blended online/in-person, 10-week certificate program designed to train new investigators in clinical research, good clinical practice, and federal and local regulatory practices. Available to faculty at Tufts Medicine and Tufts University.