Prestigious grant provides five years of funding to Tufts University and Tufts Medical Center

BOSTON (October 16, 2013) – Tufts University and Tufts Medical Center today announced that the National Institutes of Health has named the Tufts Clinical and Translational Science Institute (CTSI) a recipient of the 2013 Clinical and Translational Science Awards (CTSA). Tufts CTSI first received federal funding in 2008, and the new award provides more than $24 million in federal funding to support the Institute’s work over the next five years.

Tufts CTSI accelerates the translation of laboratory research into clinical use, medical practice and health policy. With its 39 CTSI partners, Tufts CTSI connects people to research resources, consultation, and education, and fosters collaboration with scholars of all disciplines and with community members, with the ultimate goal of improving the health of the public. CTSI partners include 12 Tufts University schools and research centers, 10 Tufts-affiliated hospitals, three additional academic institutions, nine community-based organizations, and five industry partners (including three health plans).

“Since its inception, Tufts CTSI has provided a home for clinical and translational research across all of our partners, with extensive services, resources, education, and mentorship,” says Tufts CTSI Dean and Principal Investigator Harry P. Selker, MD, MSPH. “We have always maintained a clear line of sight to impact health, and we are delighted to continue this important work for the next five years. From bench to bedside, to clinical practice, to care delivery and public health, to health policy and beyond, Tufts CTSI is committed to fostering collaboration across the translational spectrum.”

“Tufts University is committed to innovative, interdisciplinary research that makes meaningful contributions to the future of public health and patient care,” said Diane Souvaine, PhD, Vice Provost for Research at Tufts University. “This substantial funding from the National Institutes of Health will enable Tufts Clinical and Translational Science Institute to continue to show leadership in advancing the translation of laboratory research into clinical use and public policy.”

“In just five years, Tufts CTSI has become an integral part of the Tufts Medical Center community,” said Richard Karas, MD, PhD, Chief Scientific Officer at Tufts Medical Center. “Tufts CTSI’s support for clinical trials, lab research, study design, pilot studies funding, and career development is tremendously important for our investigators, and we look forward to reaching new milestones in clinical and translational science in the years to come.”

Tufts CTSI is one of 61 member institutions comprising the national CTSA Consortium, led by the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS), part of NIH. These organizations provide academic homes for translational sciences and resources needed by local and national research communities to improve the quality and efficiency of all phases of translational research. Institutional CTSAs also support the training of clinical and translational scientists to develop a robust translational research workforce. Together, they are working to reduce the time it takes for laboratory discoveries to become treatments for patients, and to engage communities in clinical research efforts.

####

About Tufts Clinical and Translational Science Institute (CTSI)

Tufts CTSI, a National Institutes of Health (NIH)-supported partnership among all the schools and hospitals of Tufts University, Northeastern University, Brandeis University, RAND, and healthcare industry and community organizations, was established in August 2008. Its purpose is to accelerate the translation of laboratory and medical research into clinical use, widespread medical practice, and into improved healthcare delivery and health policy. It connects people to research resources, consultation, and education, and fosters collaboration with scholars of all disciplines and with community members, with the ultimate goal of improving the health of the public. It was most recently funded by the NIH National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, grant number UL1 TR000073.

About Tufts University

Tufts University, located on three Massachusetts campuses in Boston, Medford/Somerville, and Grafton, and in Talloires, France, is recognized among the premier research universities in the United States. Tufts enjoys a global reputation for academic excellence and for the preparation of students as leaders in a wide range of professions. A growing number of innovative teaching and research initiatives span all Tufts campuses, and collaboration among the faculty and students in the undergraduate, graduate and professional programs across the university’s schools is widely encouraged.

About Tufts Medical Center and Floating Hospital for Children

Tufts Medical Center is an exceptional, not-for-profit, 415-bed academic medical center that is home to both a full-service hospital for adults and Floating Hospital for Children. Conveniently located in downtown Boston, the Medical Center is the principal teaching hospital for Tufts University School of Medicine. Floating Hospital for Children is the full-service children’s hospital of Tufts Medical Center and the principal pediatric teaching hospital of Tufts University School of Medicine. Tufts Medical Center is affiliated with several community hospitals and with New England Quality Care Alliance, its community physicians’ network.