The new award allows the Institute for Clinical and Translational Research to continue its major program of cultivating the development of researchers who can conduct translational research. This is the research in which discoveries move as quickly as possible along a continuum from the university to doctors’ offices, clinics, hospitals and county health departments where they can be used.
Madison, Wisconsin – Following a highly productive first five years, the University of Wisconsin-Madison Institute for Clinical and Translational Research (ICTR) has received a coveted five-year renewal by the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
The renewal comes with a grant of $41.5 million, nearly the same amount that was given to ICTR in the initial round of funding in 2007. It is one of the largest grants ever awarded to the School of Medicine and Public Health.
“This renewal highlights not only the work at ICTR, but the talent and research excellence at UW-Madison and Marshfield Clinic,” saysDr. Marc Drezner, Institute for Clinical and Translational Research executive director.
In addition to a key partnership with Marshfield Clinic, the Institute for Clinical and Translational Research is a partnership among the UW Schools of Medicine and Public Health (SMPH), Pharmacy, Nursing, Veterinary Medicine, and the College of Engineering.
The new award allows the Institute for Clinical and Translational Research to continue its major program of cultivating the development of researchers who can conduct translational research. This is the research in which discoveries move as quickly as possible along a continuum from the university to doctors’ offices, clinics, hospitals and county health departments where they can be used.
“Our goal is to transform the research culture and environment at the university and across the state, mirroring the NIH goal of a national transformation,” says Drezner, senior associate dean for clinical and translational research at the School of Medicine and Public Health. “In the end, we believe this will improve human health.”
The Institute for Clinical and Translational Research will continue to fund pilot research projects with translational potential. The grants, many of which are given to community organizations, typically total $1.5 million per year. Projects have examined topics such as the diagnosis of diabetes in the community, the role of the pharmacist in improving how patients stick to their treatment plans, and an approach to managing obesity in the community.
Drezner also stresses the value of the NIH-funded Collaborative Center for Health Equity (CCHE), a core group within ICTR. CCHE engages with underserved communities, funds research and fosters the development of scholars-all aimed at eliminating health disparities.
The Institute for Clinical and Translational Research also offers its translational researchers free biostatistics consultations, scientific editing, and community engagement and research services, as well as discounted laboratory and imaging services. It provides research nursing and rooms for investigators using the hospital-based Clinical Research Unit for studying inpatients and out patients.
A solid academic home for translational research in Wisconsin has been crucial to the development of all the programs and resources, says Drezner.
“It’s clear that we’ve been able to accomplish something that’s recognized nationally as exemplary,” he says.
The NIH gave the ICTR grant application one of the top three scores obtained among all applicants.
