Upcoming CCTS Events
Patient Navigation Workshop “Trains the Trainers”
Participants from across the CCTS Partner Network gathered to develop the skills and knowledge necessary to establish a patient navigation program to enhance minority recruitment and retention in clinical trials at their institutions.
Innovation by Design Offers New Approach for Solving Research Challenges
This fun, fast-paced training took attendees through the five stages of Design Thinking, a Stanford d.school method for tackling “fuzzy problems” by reframing them in a human-centric way. Led by CCTS Executive Council Member Dr. Molly Wasko and her team of experts from the UAB Collat School of Business.
Mark Your Calendar for Genetics and Genomics in Clinical Research
This week-long course, hosted by CCTS and the Heflin Center for Genomic Sciences Sept. 18-22, will immerse investigators in the principles, technologies, and experimental approaches in genetics and genomics through both lecture and hands-on activities. Investigators from Partner institutions are encouraged to register as well (GTM will be available for long-distance attendees).
Request Your Application Package Today! Deadline for CCTS Pilot LOIs Fast Approaching
The Letter of Intent (LOI) deadline for the 2018 CCTS Partner Network Multidisciplinary Pilot Program is 5pm CDT on Wed. Aug. 30. We welcome projects that address questions of importance to the health of our communities, including health disparities and health challenges across the life course, as well as clinical conditions that disproportionately affect our region. Contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. with questions and package requests.
I-Corps @ UAB Info Sessions: Refine and Fund Your Best Idea
Do you have a novel idea that could help people? If so, mark your calendar for one of our upcoming information sessions about the I-Corps @ UAB program, which helps investigators assess the value of their research projects, prototypes, and protocols. Those who participate in the full four-week I-Corps program will receive $2500 to test out the product-market fit of their visions.
CCTS Regional Community Engagement Consortium Meets, Maps Out Next Steps
Consortium representatives from across the CCTS Partner Network gathered in Tuskegee on Aug. 3rd to discuss moving forward on several initiatives, including developing an R13 grant, growing the number of profiles in the PURE research database, and hosting a regional Community Engagement Institute.
CCTS Open House “Best Event Ever”
More than 130 people converged on PCAMS last Wednesday for our latest Open House, which featured nine stations highlighting our latest initiatives in support of clinical and translational science. Attendees enjoyed the opportunity to engage with our science-savvy CCTS experts and each other.
Sept. CCTS Forum to Explore Recruitment from Under-Represented Populations
Reflecting our diverse population in clinical trials is essential to producing scientific discoveries that translate into health improvements for everyone. Join us for an expert-led discussion of the challenges in and potential solutions for recruiting participants from under-represented populations.
UBuffalo Innovation Lab to Address Opioid Epidemic
Are you an early career scientist with a faculty position at a CTSA-affiliated institution or regional partner? Are you within 10 years of completing your terminal research degree or medical residency? If the answer to both questions is yes, are you also interested in tackling the “difficult problem” of opioid misuse? If so, consider applying to a five-day Innovation Lab on the opioid epidemic, hosted by the University of Buffalo Nov. 6-10, 2017. Applications due Sun. Aug. 20.
CCTS Launches 2018 Partner Network Multidisciplinary Pilot Program
Do you have a project that will address scientific questions of particular importance to the health of our communities, including health disparities and health challenges across the life course? Do you investigate clinical conditions that disproportionately affect our region? If so, consider applying for a CCTS pilot award! Contact CCTS Research Commons (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. ) for an application package. Letters of intent are due by 5pm CT on Wed., Aug. 30, 2017.
CCTS Announces New Dates for Popular i2b2 Training
The CCTS will continue to offer "Accessing Clinical Data for Research with i2b2," a hands-on training that helps investigators learn how to use the i2b2 database to access de-identified patient data, check study feasibility, develop hypotheses, and more, throughout the remainder of 2017. Registration is required. Supervisory approval is required for non-faculty (e.g., trainees, staff). All attendees are strongly encouraged to request i2b2 access prior to their session.
CCTS Summer TL1 Trainees Present Translational Research Projects
The 2017 cohort of the CCTS Summer Enrichment Program, our 8-week training to prepare students early in their clinical education for a possible career in translational research, recently presented their final projects to an appreciative, highly engaged audience at PCAMS.
CCTS Launches New Mentoring Training
What are the key aspects of the mentor-mentee relationship? Explore the common and not so common challenges in mentoring and being mentored via this 8-week training, led by experienced UAB mentors. Registration requested, walk-ins welcome. Certification available for participants who complete all eight topics. First topic, "Maintaining Effective Communication," opens Friday, Aug. 4.
Mark Your Calendar for a Special CCTS Forum
Join us on Wed., Oct. 4, for a demonstration of the Stanford d.school innovation by design thinking process, a human-centered approach to strategic problem solving. Bring your ideas for improving trainings for early stage investigators!
Seats Filling Fast! Register for 4th Annual CEI Today
Registration for our 2017 Community Engagement Institute will close Thurs., Oct 5. Special student sponsored rates end on Sun., Oct. 1. Don’t miss the opportunity to hear from other health equity and social justice change agents at this lively event, which will take place at the BJCC 7:30 am-3:30 pm on Fri., Oct. 6.
CCTS Announces New Dates, Topic for Case Studies in Mentoring
Our popular 8-week mentoring series will return this fall, with a new topic, “Cultivating Ethical Behavior” added to the lineup. The new sessions will take place on Wednesdays and Fridays, starting Wed., Oct. 11. Register now, seating is limited!
CCTS Thanks Its OnCore Support Team and SuperUsers
One of the key ingredients when migrating to a new clinical trials management system is a strong core team-CCTS applauds the staff who are working hard behind the scenes to ensure the transition to OnCore is smooth and successful.
Present Your Non-Coding RNA Research at Upcoming Symposium
CCTS and the UAB Heflin Center for Genomic Sciences invite abstracts for the poster session at the 2017 Non-Coding RNA Symposium, which will take place Fri., Nov. 3. Prizes will be awarded to the top posters. Abstracts are due Fri., Oct. 13.
Enter the CCTS-UAB Informatics Institute i2b2 Abstract Contest to Win $1000
Do you have a great clinical research question and just need some data to answer it? UAB's i2b2 self-service data repository may be just the resource you need. Once you have found your data and answered your question, share the news with us - you could win $1000 by submitting a one-page abstract describing your findings. Submissions are due Friday, November 17.
New Kaizen R2T Game Opens Sept. 25 - Register Today!
Have fun while mastering required NIH competencies in rigor, reproducibility, and transparency(R2T). The latest round of our R2T game will run Sept. 25-Oct. 18. Using the CCTS Informatics-created platform, Kaizen, this R2T training opportunity is open to anyone across the CCTS Partner Network. Registration required.
Sept. CCTS Forum Explores the Challenge of Increasing Diversity in Clinical Trials
Recruiting from under-represented populations is essential to ensuring evidence produced by clinical trials translates into health improvements for everyone. Our latest Monthly Forum featured experts from UAB, Vanderbilt, and University of Massachusetts who shared their best practices for achieving diversity in clinical trials.
Visit CCTS at Auburn Research Day Expo
On Friday, Sept. 22, CCTS will participate in an exposition held in conjunction with our Network Partner Auburn University's "This is Research: Faculty Symposium 2017." Look for us at Table 17 in the Auburn Student Center from 11am-1pm and stop by for a chat in between an array of scientific mini-talks ranging from the promise of nanocellulose and outsmarting viruses to better methods for growing oysters and meeting housing needs.
CEI Deadline for Abstracts Extended! Submit by Friday, Sept. 22nd
It is not too late to submit an abstract for a poster, session, or "Cookies and Conversation" networking table for our upcoming 4th Annual Community Engagement Institute (CEI), a full-day symposium that will take place at the BJCC on Friday, Oct. 6. We invite any interested faculty, students, community members, business leaders, advocates, consumers, and sponsors from across the CCTS Partner Network to join us!
Exploring the Nexus between Health Literacy and Patient Outcomes
Nurse scientist Dr. Joy Deupree updated a standing room only crowd on local, state, and national initiatives to improve public health by addressing the issue of low health literacy, which affects an estimated 57% of adult Alabamians and is linked to adverse events such as rehospitalization and death. CCTS cosponsored the event.
What's New on the CCTS Website: Samples Added to Grant Library
Are you working on a K01, K23, R21, or R01? Wish you could see a successful Specific Aims or Research Strategy section or a Summary Statement? Wondering how to address NIH Rigor and Reproducibility requirements? Look no further than our newly updated CCTS Grant Library! CCTS thanks Drs. Agarwal, Elopre, Shacka, and Aslibekyan for sharing their award-winning proposals.
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 this past summer. 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!).
New Case Studies in Mentoring Helps Attendees Navigate Challenging Terrain
Whether you are a mentor or mentee (or both), our latest series offers a topic you are sure to appreciate. Discussions are facilitated, seats are limited, and topics are repeated to ensure attendees have ample opportunity to participate.
Submit Your Abstract Today! Deadline for 4th Annual CEI Session, Poster, “Cookies and Conversation” Nears
Join us for our 4th Annual Community Engagement Institute (CEI), a full-day symposium focused on issues related to health equity and social justice that will take place on Fri., Oct. 6, at the BJCC. The theme is "Community Health from Engagement and Environmental Renewal (CHEER) for Civil Inclusion & Empowerment." Faculty, students, community members, business leaders, advocates, consumers, and sponsors are all encouraged to participate. Abstract deadline is 5pm on Friday, Sept. 8.
How We Spent Our Summer: CCTS Partner Road Trips
Several members of our CCTS senior leadership team logged more than 1,600 miles crisscrossing the AL-LA-MS region this summer to visit with CCTS partner institutions. Our goals for the “listening tour”—to deepen existing ties, establish new ones, and innovate collaborative strategies toward our shared mission—were not only met but exceeded. We share a few of the exciting new ideas we heard as well as a few snapshots from our CCTS summer road trips.
CCTS Launches HSE Entrepreneurial Grand Rounds
Recognizing the need to connect investigators with experts who can share their knowledge of the commercialization journey for biomedical scientific discoveries, the first Fall 2018 Entrepreneurial Grand Rounds will feature CCTS Executive Council Member Dr. Molly Wasko leading an interactive I-Corps@NCATS workshop on Friday, Sept. 14. Part of the Health Sciences Entrepreneurship (HSE) seminar series, a collaboration among UAB, UAMS, UKMC, UU, and UTHSC.
September CCTS Monthly Forum Postponed
Due to the Labor Day holiday, CCTS will postpone its monthly Forum, traditionally held the first Wednesday of the month. Stay tuned to CCTS Digest or our Upcoming Events web page for updated information concerning a new date as well as the topic and speaker.
Case Studies in Mentoring Returns
Our popular eight-week mentoring series relaunches on Wednesday, Sept. 5, with new topics on authorship and cultivating ethics. Discover new strategies for navigating nuanced mentor-mentee relationships and earn a certificate documenting Excellence in Mentoring, a career-enhancing skill. All sessions are facilitated by experienced UAB mentors and open to the CCTS Partner Network.
Save the Date for Community Engagement Institute 2018
Mark your calendar for Friday, October 12, and join us for "Building Bridges for Better Health through Engaging Communities." Our 5th annual CEI will take place at a new location: the Hyatt Regency Hotel & Conference Center in Hoover, AL. Stay tuned to CCTS Digest for additional details, including a call for presentations and posters and registration information.
Fall 2018 CCTS Research Training Program Accepting Applications
What does it take to excel in today's dynamic clinical research environment? Our six-week training answers this question and more, preparing research staff with the basics of implementing and managing a clinical study or trial with an emphasis on Good Clinical Practice (GCP). Useful for those just starting out in research or who seek an update to maintain the highest standards of excellence.
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 superstars along the way (many of whom have recently made the news as well!).
CCTS I-Corps@NCATS Bootcamp Enlisting New "Recruits"
Are you ready to train hard to ensure your science matters to potential customers? Can your latest discovery pass muster with our entrepreneurial experts? Our three-week I-Corps@NCATS Bootcamp offers investigators a proven technique for exploring the commercial value of their work by helping them connect with those who stand to benefit from it. Learn how to "pitch" your research project (or technology, protocol, intervention) to any audience, including funders and potential collaborators. Bootcamp starts at 08:00 on Friday, Sept. 12.
CCTS Launches New Radiology Pilot—Partner Applications Welcome!
Does your research project require human imaging on Highlands 3T, PET/MR, PET/CT, CT and/or small animal Imaging on the 9.4T, MRI, Micro PET/CT? Do you need to purchase radionuclides or radiopharmaceuticals from the UAB Cyclotron Facility? Would a one-year award of up to $15,000 in direct costs help? CCTS, in collaboration with UAB's Dept. of Radiology and School of Medicine, has released a new pilot RFA to help promote pre-clinical and clinical research in preparation for publication and grant applications. Eligible full-time faculty and early investigators at any CCTS Partner Network institution are encouraged to apply by 5pm CT Friday, Sept. 21.
CCTS Open House Highlights New Supports, Draws Large Crowd
More than 120 people joined us for our biannual Open House on Wednesday, August 1. In addition to the usual festivities, the event featured information about our latest learning, funding, and collaboration opportunities. ICYMI we recap the high points.
CCTS Launches 6th Annual Community Health Engagement Awards
Registration for the 2018 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 our CHIA web page for examples). Once registered, the next step is to attend the mandatory Innovation Workshop on Sat., September 29, at the UAB Lister Hill Library Edge of Chaos
NCATS Task Force Announces CTSA Team Science Contest
Do you have a translational team science story to share? The Great CTSA Team Science Contest is an opportunity to share experiences that encouraged or advanced team science—including programs, support services, events, and collaborations. Innovative ideas and lessons learned also are welcome. Designed by the Collaboration Engagement Domain Task Force, the contest is open to any CCTS investigator, community member, or staff. Winners’ stories will be featured at the CTSA Program Fall Meeting in October. Submit by Wed., September 5.
CEI 2018 Announces Call for Posters
The Community Engagement Institute (CEI) invites poster proposals from undergraduate and graduate students, university faculty and staff, community organization and faith-based leaders, health advocates, and grassroots organizers aligning with our 2018 theme: "Building Bridges for Better Health through Engaging Community." We welcome poster proposals highlighting research at any stage, from proposal to published results; literature reviews; program evaluation and conceptual frameworks; advocacy initiatives; and professional skills development in health disparities research, community engagement strategies, social and environmental determinants of health, or policy issues.
The "Magnificent Seven": Study Design Questions You Need to Answer for Research Success
As an expert methodologist, CCTS Biostatistics, Epidemiology, and Research Design (BERD) Co-Director and UAB Biostatistics Vice Chair David Redden, PhD, spends the majority of his time helping people redesign their studies, taking into account the key issues that grant reviewers find problematic. "If your answers to these seven frequently asked questions are inconsistent or hard to find, you are in for a challenging review," he warned, "and knowing statistics will not save you!"
CCTS October Events Update
The CCTS Monthly Forum scheduled for Wednesday, October 3, has been postponed due to our upcoming Training Advisory Committee meeting taking place on that date. The next monthly Training Interdisciplinary & Emerging Scholars (TIERS) meeting, scheduled for Friday, October 12, has been cancelled to allow attendees to participate in our 5th Annual Community Engagement Institute (CEI), which will take place at the Hyatt Regency in Hoover, AL, from 8:30am to 5:30pm. Register for CEI 2018 by Thursday, October 11.
Not Too Late to Register for 6th Annual Immunogenomics Conference
Hosted by CCTS Partner HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology, join leading experts in the field of Immunogenomics as they explore the application of genomic technologies to better understand the immune system. Hear presentations from key leaders and the opportunity to collaborate with them at social event. Available for CCTS Network Partners.
5th Annual CEI Registration Now Open
Register today to secure an early-bird rate for our upcoming 5th Community Engagement Institute (CEI), which will take place Friday, October 12, at the Hyatt Regency in Hoover, AL. "Building Bridges to Better Health through Engaging Communities" will feature Dr. Derrick M. Griffith, Professor of Medicine, Health, and Society, Vanderbilt University, and Director, Center for Research on Men's Health, and an expert in building trust and mutual respect to improve health, as the keynote speaker. The daylong event will also offer a panel discussion on the role of mental, physical, economic, and faith-based organizations in community health; a poster session showcasing best practices and the latest research findings; and breakout discussions.
Public Health Informatics Key Phase of Translational Science Spectrum
CCTS Co-Director and UAB Informatics Institute Director Dr. James Cimino discussed how biomedical informatics supports the translation of clinical information into researchable data sets that can produce insights useful to improving population health. Investigators just need the right skills to ask the right questions of data, however big or small, he said, encouraging attendees to explore i2b2 training to access clinical data at UAB and other CTSA institutions.
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If you wish to participate in the next Southern Society for Clinical Investigation (SSCI) Southern Regional Meeting (New Orleans, Feb. 21-23) or Science of Team Science Conference (SciTS) (Lansing, MI, May 20-23), it is not too early to prepare your submission. The SSCI call for abstracts closes Friday, Oct. 12, 2018. The SciTS call for proposals closes Tuesday, Jan. 1, 2019. Note: CCTS will host its annual pre-SSCI Community of Scholars Networking Breakfast on Feb. 20, 2019. Contact Training Academy Program Director Dr. Becky Reamey with questions.
First UAB Marchase Symposium Spotlights CCTS Synergies
The inaugural UAB Marchase Interdisciplinary Research Centers Symposium explored the importance of “a spirit of camaraderie” in science to address important societal challenges. CCTS experts presented two of the three morning talks, underscoring the role of translational thinking in successful team science endeavors. Our CCTS poster highlighted the powerful impact of reaching across disciplinary and institutional boundaries in pursuit of shared research and workforce training goals.
I-Corps@NCATS Regional Short Course Graduates 14 Teams
Congratulations to the participants of the CCTS I-Corps@NCATS Regional Short Course, which concluded in August. Fourteen research teams finished the course, graduating with invaluable insights into what prospective “customers” like about their proposed health service models, devices, and technologies.
What’s New on the CCTS Website
Do you or someone on your research team work with a Data and Safety Monitoring Board (DSMB)? If so, check out this new online resource produced by the CTSA Collaborative DSMB Workgroup. With a focus on investigator-initiated studies, the manual provides information and training for Principal Investigators, DSMB members, IRB members, biostatisticians, and research staff on how to work effectively with DSMBs.
Mark Your Calendar for Entrepreneurial Grand Rounds
Do not miss the first of our Fall 2018 series, an interactive I-Corps@NCATS workshop led by UAB I-Corps Program Director and CCTS Executive Council Member Dr. Molly Wasko. If you are interested in accelerating biomedical science discoveries and the commercialization pathway, join us on Friday, Sept. 14. Part of the Health Sciences Entrepreneurship (HSE) seminar series, a collaboration among UAB, UAMS, UKMC, UU, and UTHSC.
CCTS Accepting Applications for CTSTP 2020
Become a translational thinker and increase your team science skills with our popular six month Clinical and Translational Science Training Program (CTSTP)! This competitive, career-boosting opportunity is open to grad students, postdocs, and faculty from across the CCTS Partner Network. Apply by 5:00pm, Monday, November 4, 2019.
Broaden Your Career Options with the CCTS Predoctoral Clinical / Translational Research Program
This mentored research experience provides skills that will help equip the curious and creative with the tools and expertise to thrive as investigators in any setting (e.g., academic medicine, government, pharma). The 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. The program provides a stipend and support for tuition, among other benefits. Apply by Sunday, December 1, 2019.
The CTSA Wants Your Feedback!
The National Center for Advancing Translational Science has released a Clinical and Translational Science Awards (CTSA) Program Request for Information, 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.
September’s Forum Introduces DRIVEN — Driving Research: An Interdisciplinary, Vibrant, Engaged Network
CCTS Training Academy Director Michael Mugavero, MD, MHSc, announced the launch of DRIVEN, which was conceptualized several months ago as a multi-faceted solution to enhancing research workforce development.
Visit CCTS at UAB Aging Symposium
In lieu of the October Forum, please join us at the UAB Aging Symposium October 9-10 at the UAB Alumni House. “From Chromosomes to Communities: Integrating Aging Research” will feature Dr. Richard J. Hodes, Director of National Institute of Aging (NIA), as the plenary speaker. The two-day event will also offer a panel discussion with NIH/NIA directors as well as presentations by keynote speakers from other institutions.
Join the Kaizen Craze: R2T Training Game Now Offered Monthly
The Kaizen rigor, reproducibility & transparency (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.
CCTS Translational Training Symposium Registration Now Open!
Join the CCTS Partner Network at the second annual CCTS Translational Training Symposium in Gulf Shores, Alabama on November 14-15. This networking and learning opportunity offers grant writing and project manager training, interdisciplinary panel discussions, specific aims workshops, BERD consults, and much more. Reserve your spot today and take advantage of the CCTS room block rate. Registration will close Friday, November 1.
CCTS Celebrates Grant Renewal During Annual Open House
Nearly 200 people – trainees, staff, faculty, and community members – visited the CCTS “hub” at PCAMS for the CCTS annual Open House, where we also took the opportunity to celebrate our recent grant renewal to officially launch “CCTS 3.0.” In case you missed it, check out our drawing winners, reference materials, and a photo slideshow.
CCTS Announces 2019 TL1 Trainees
Congratulations to our new 2019 cohort of the CCTS Predoctoral Clinical / Translational Research 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.
Mark Your Calendar! New Dates for Popular i2b2 Training
If you have not yet taken "Accessing Clinical Data for Research with i2b2," our hands-on training for investigators to explore the i2b2 database for accessing de-identified patient data, checking study feasibility, developing hypotheses, and more, you are in luck. Several new dates from September through December are available. Registration is required. Supervisory approval is required for non-faculty (e.g., trainees, staff). All attendees are strongly encouraged to request i2b2 access prior to their session.
CCTS Represents at UAB 2019 Core & Shared Resources Day
More than 300 visitors viewed our 17 posters at this year’s UAB Core Day! This is the largest attended Core Day to date and CCTS had the largest footprint by the percentage of posters. In case you missed it, check out our posters and a photo slideshow of the event.