Overview
A key tenet of translational science is to understand and address common causes of inefficiency and failure in clinical and translational research projects. To translate science into practice or policy more effectively, we must address:
- The pace of development and availability of treatments
- Enable more individuals and communities to contribute to and benefit from translational science, and
- Identify and address inefficiencies in translation that slow and even stop clinical and translational research efforts.
Many of these causes are the same across targets, diseases, and therapeutic areas; therefore, advances in translational science will increase efficiency and effectiveness of translational research to enhance health, lengthen life, and reduce the burdens of illness and disability.
Translational research seeks to turn biomedical research discoveries into health solutions through the application of translational science. These solutions include efficacious diagnostics, treatments, and interventions.
The ICTR Advancing Translational Research & Science (ATRS) Pilot Award provides support for proposals that aim to:
- Address a clinical and translational research question in a particular disease or intervention development/dissemination context, AND
- Provide generalizable translational science innovations or insights that can be applied to other translational research projects, thereby increasing the overall efficiency or effectiveness of translation.
Projects must be focused on translational science–the generation of generalizable innovations that are applicable to a broad range of diseases and conditions and address translational barriers.
Highly valuable project elements include (but are not limited to):
- Mentorship and/or Team Science
- Recruitment science
- Implementation science including projects applicable to Learning Health Systems (LHS)
- Considerations of specific ways in which the proposed or subsequent work may impact health outcomes in Wisconsin and beyond, across a wide range of challenges, communities, populations, and geographic access
ICTR Pilot Awards are intended to support projects that will further an investigator’s career path. Successful proposals will clearly describe how the pilot data collected as a part of this award will be used to seek further, extramural funding in support of a research career trajectory. Early career investigators with limited PI experience are strongly encouraged to submit proposals as the Contact PI, in partnership with senior investigators who have relevant research methods expertise to serve as Co-Investigators, collaborators, and/or mentors.
