Upcoming CCTS Events
The National Center for Advancing Translational Science has released a CTSA Program Request for Information (RFI), and your input is valuable. This request is for feedback on how the CTSA Program might be strengthened to meet its broad scientific mission of improving the efficiency and effectiveness of clinical research and translational science. The CTSA Program supports a national network of medical research institution, their partners and collaborators—all working together to speed the translation of research discoveries into improved patient care by tackling system-wide problems in clinical and translational research that no single team can overcome.
Possible areas for comment include, but are not limited to:
- Barriers and solutions to improving the use of basic research findings to inform clinical care
- Workforce development
- Community engagement, health disparities, and dissemination
This request closes on October 25th. Everyone is encouraged to share pertinent feedback directly with Dr. Robert Kimberly, Director of CCTS, at
Assembled below is a list we hope you find helpful for ease of navigating upcoming CCTS events and opportunities.
For more information, please contact CCTS at
Upcoming Virtual Events
CCTS Grant Library
I-Corps@NCATS
National COVID Cohort Collaborative
Kaizen, the online platform that turns lessons into games, is now offering the rigor, reproducibility & transparency (R2T) game on a monthly basis. The Kaizen R2T game provides investigators with a fun way to meet NIH policy requirements for formal training in scientific rigor and responsibility. The R2T game is open to all investigators across the CCTS Partner Network and beyond.
Kaizen was crafted by Dr. James Willig as an answer to demanding learning schedules for medical residents. The platform was then used by Dr. David Redden to produce the R2T training game. The exciting story of Kaizen’s creation and evolution was recently featured in the UAB Reporter, where Dr. Redden shared impressive numbers: 265 people across 15 institutions have played the R2T training game so far.
Kaizen Registration Form
Congratulations to our new 2019 cohort of the CCTS Predoctoral Clinical/Translational Research Program. They represent predoctoral students finishing their second year in a health-related professions program. This immersive program provides 12 months of protected time for trainees to develop projects focused on reducing health disparities and/or diseases that disproportionately affect the Deep South. Other benefits include a stipend, tuition/training support, mentorship, and becoming a "translational thinker."
This year’s cohort includes trainees for Auburn University, LSU Health Sciences Center, Tulane University, and UAB.
2019-2020 TL1 Trainees
Cheyenne Barba
Mentor: Michael Crowe, PhD
UAB
Heather Dark
Mentor: David Knight, PhD
UAB
Brandy Davis
Mentor: Mentor: David Knight, PhD
Auburn University
Morgan Ellis
Mentor: Elizabeth Lipke, PhD
Auburn University
Cesar Gonzalez
Mentor: Burel Goodin, PhD
UAB
Samantha Gonzalez
Mentor: Christina Rodriguez, PhD
UAB
Logan Hilton
Mentors: Michael Lyerly, MD; Nita Limdi, Pharm.D, PhD, MSPH, FAHA; Toby Gropen, MD
LSU Health Sciences Center
John T. Killian, Jr., MD
Mentors: Herb Chen, MD; Fran Lund, PhD
UAB
Daniel Kim
Mentor: William Opoku-Agyeman, MSc, MPH, PhD
UAB
Zachary McCann
Mentor: Magdalena Szaflarski, PhD
UAB
Matthew Moore
Mentor: Martha Wingate, DrPH, MPH
UAB
Rachel Muir
Mentors: Craig Maynard, PhD; Jennifer Pollock, PhD
UAB
Kathryn Pendergast
Mentors: Marissa Gowey, Phd; Gareth Dutton, PhD
UAB
Riley Santiago
Mentor: Janna Wisniewski, PhD
Tulane
Ashkan Shahbandi
Mentor: James Jackson, PhD
Tulane
Macy Stockdill
Mentor: Marie Anne Bakitas, DNSc, CRNP, NP-C, AOCN, ACHPN, FAAN
UAB
Austin Svancara
Mentor: Despina Stavrinos, PhD
UAB
If you are interested in becoming a CCTS TL1 Trainee, visit our Predoctoral Clinical/Translational Research Program webpage.
Master Mentoring with CCTS Fall Trainings
Attendees will gain new ideas about how to handle challenges that arise in mentoring relationships in our popular Case Studies in Mentoring Series, which re-launches on Wednesday, September 11. While there are no "rules" about how to mentor, you will gain a greater repertoire of skills. Investigators, scholars, and trainees from across the CCTS Partner Network are invited to attend any of the eight topics via Zoom. For those who prefer a more informal setting to discuss mentoring, join Drs. David Chaplin and Lisa Jackson for our CCTS Friday Mentoring Lunch on September 20, 11:30am-12:30pm.
CCTS Clinical Research Support Program (CRSP) Announce Fall Educational Offerings
CRSP Educational offerings, including Special Topics in Clinical Trials Seminar Series and CCTS Lunch & Learns, provide academic training in the principles essential for success in the clinical research environment. In-person, classroom-based, and online courses relevant to investigators, study coordinators, financial staff, regulatory coordinators, and other research staff are available, with emphases on Good Clinical Practices (GCP), compliance, and other key topics.
September Forum: Learn How DRIVEN Can Help Steer Your Career to Success
The CCTS in partnership with the Scientific Community of Outcomes Researchers (SCOR) has developed the Driving Research: An Interdisciplinary, Vibrant, Engaged Network (DRIVEN) program to cultivate a community of interdisciplinary clinical and translational investigators and promote their individual and collective professional development, recognition, and advancement to foster an inclusive, equitable and diverse research workforce. To learn more about DRIVEN and to become a part of the network, join us on Wednesday, September 11, 4-5:30pm.
CCTS Alum, Experts in the News
In case you missed it, several of our former CCTS trainees, awardees, and panel participants have made the news recently. We applaud their accomplishments, highlighted here to inspire the next generation of clinical and translational scientists, as well as the CCTS experts who supported these super stars along the way (many of whom have recently made the news as well!).
Save the Date! CCTS Translational Training Symposium
Mark your calendars for the second annual CCTS Translational Training Symposium on November 14-15, 2019, in Gulf Shores State Park, Alabama. This event will convene predoctoral, postdoctoral, and early career scholars, as well as their mentors and training grant leaders, from across the CCTS Partner Network for experiential training and career development sessions on translational and design thinking, grant writing, and funding opportunities. More information to follow.
CCTS Extends Pilot RFA to August 26
Pre-applications for the CCTS 2020 Interdisciplinary Network Pilot Funding Opportunity has been extended to Monday, August 26, 2019. Since 2008, the CCTS Pilot Program has served as a collaborative mechanism supporting innovative research tackling disparities and health challenges that disproportionally affect minority and special populations in our region, as well as fostering the future translational research workforce with a spirit of collaboration, team science, and discovery. We invite you to consider how the CCTS Pilot Program may help grow and expand your research.
CCTS Open House & Grant Renewal Celebration
Come celebrate our recent five-year grant renewal and hear about our many initiatives in support of clinical and translational science including funding opportunities, research fellowships, clinical research support, and community engagement.
CCTS Launches 7th Annual Community Health Engagement Awards (CHIA)
Registration for the 2019 CCTS CHIA grant cycle is now open to 501(c)(3) organizations with a creative idea for solving an "on the ground" health challenge in Birmingham. We seek to support novel, collaborative, inclusive, and sustainable solutions that address real-world community health needs (see previous CHIA awardees). Once registered, the next step is to attend the mandatory Innovation Workshop on Saturday, September 28, at the UAB Lister Hill Library Edge of Chaos.
Special Informatics PowerTalk Seminar Features CCTS Partner
The CCTS and the UAB Informatics Institute will host a Special Informatics PowerTalk on Tuesday, August 20, at the Shelby Biomedical Science Building. Chindo Hicks, PhD, CCTS Informatics Investigator and Director of LSU Health Sciences Center Bioinformatics and Genomics Program, will discuss "Integrative Genomics Approaches for Unravelling the Polygenic Architecture of Triple Negative Breast Cancer." Zoom will be available to the Partner Network.
Calling All Clinical and Translational Researchers! TS20 Call for Session Ideas
The ACTS Translational Science 2020 program invites you to share your ideas for panel discussions, workshops, and platform presentations. This is your opportunity to train the next generation of researchers, inform current research leadership, build opportunities for team science, or generate consensus on best practices. Submit your session proposal by Friday, September 13.
Early Career Scholars & Trainees: 6 Things You Need To Know Now
Discover the six things early career scholars and trainees need to know now from NIH updates and requirements to upcoming funding and training opportunities available to you.
Plan Your Fall & Beyond: Upcoming Conferences & Symposiums
Graduate students, postdocs, trainees, and faculty from early career to senior level are encouraged to take advantage of several outstanding opportunities on the horizon. Whether you wish to develop new translational and/or clinical research skills, meet new mentors or collaborators, or brainstorm solutions to some of the biggest challenges facing our health system, there is an upcoming event for you.