The University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) Center for Clinical and Translational Science (CCTS) seeks to catalyze translational research, locally and nationally, as part of a national network to improve individual and population health.

The UIC CCTS, first funded by NIH in 2009, has had a transformative effect on accelerating clinical translational research by influencing the culture, processes, and practices at UIC and increasing the pipeline and training for clinical translational scientists. The UIC CCTS continues to have the necessary capacities and resources to be a full and well-qualified partner in this national CTSA program.

With continued funding from the NIH in 2016, we are committed to the current focus of the CTSA program, including workforce development; collaborating with a broad range of stakeholders to advance translation; integrating across the translational spectrum, lifespan, and diverse populations; improving and innovating the methods and processes for efficient collaborative clinical translational research; and supporting and advancing the use of informatics solutions to advance clinical translational research. We are well positioned to make substantial contributions by collaborating with other hubs, supporting national CTSA activities, and making unique contributions to community-engaged research with vulnerable and underserved populations.

The specific aims of our CCTS are to:

1. Develop a skillful and diverse translational workforce to conduct multidisciplinary team science and advance translation of discoveries
2. Engage a broad range of stakeholders in clinical translational research, including patients, community leaders, health care providers and clinicians, industry and policy makers. We will support collaboration among the CTSA hubs, participate in multi-site trials, provide multi-site study support, and provide enhanced capacity for recruitment and retention
3. Integrate, support, and accelerate clinical translational research across the full translational spectrum with multiple disciplines and with diverse populations across the lifespan
4. Promote advances in study and development of methods and processes of conducting translational science that will enable advances in translation
5. Support the use and advance of innovative informatics solutions to advance translational research and to help train the CTSA workforce.

We will accomplish these aims with a coherent and streamlined structure and with an effective leadership and administration that will ensure ongoing evaluation, monitoring, and continued process improvements. These aims will direct our course over the next five years, as we further evolve the clinical and translational enterprise, contribute to the CTSA network, and advance the health of the people of Illinois and the nation.