Tufts Clinical and Translational Science Institute - Over its 10 years, Tufts Clinical and Translational Science Institute (CTSI) has brought together
purposefully-selected partners and has organized new and existing programs and activities with a singular
purpose to best contribute to clinical and translational research (CTR). We focus on what we are best suited to
do, based on our particular skills, resources, partners, and opportunities. Thereby, we have been able to
provide unique and outstanding services, resources, education, and mentorship, locally, nationally, and to the
field of CTR. With this application, we are pleased to be able to substantially grow our offerings by expanding
our long-standing partners’ contributions, and by adding the special assets of new partners.
With growth, our guiding principles have not changed: 1) We actively support the full spectrum of translational
research, and we insist that wherever on the T1-T4 continuum, CTR must have a clear line of sight to potential
ultimate impact on health; 2) At all stages of research, we practice “broadly-engaged team science.” For CTR
to be relevant and impactful, research teams must have a wide array of stakeholders from inception to
completion and dissemination; 3) We are active collaborators. We embrace our role as “the extrovert CTSA.”
We believe that connections among diverse disciplines, stakeholders, and organizations are synergistic on
many levels. This has powered our hub, and our leadership of multiple CTSA Consortium activities; 4) We
believe that only by having systems and processes to continually assess and to iteratively improve processes
will we achieve CTR excellence. We have a signature program in research process improvement, which we
apply across CTR, and which led to our leading the national roll-out of the CTSA Common Metrics; 5) We
reflexively look for opportunities to contribute novel research methods. Development, demonstration, and
dissemination of new methods and approaches are hallmarks of our work, regardless of domain; 6) Rigorous
role-specific education and training are fundamental to excellence in, and advancing, CTR.
In service of these principles, our aims are: Overall AIM 1) Create an environment, resources, and services to
stimulate and support the full spectrum of CTR by leveraging the diverse expertise and assets of Tufts CTSI
partners. Overall AIM 2) Cultivate broadly-engaged team science, actively including stakeholders, to promote
relevant and impactful translation for diverse populations and across the lifespan. Overall AIM 3) Develop,
demonstrate, and disseminate innovations in methods, research process improvement, and evaluation, to
advance CTR locally and nationally. Overall AIM 4) Advance methods and performance of multi-site clinical
trials, within the Tufts CTSI Clinical Research Network, the NCATS Trial Innovation Network, and in other
multi-institutional networks. Overall AIM 5) Provide outstanding education, training, and mentoring, tailored to
different roles and disciplines, to advance a diverse CTR workforce, and share these resources nationally.