National Partners

We work closely with our counterparts nationwide as part of a national consortium of leading academic institutions.

The support of other government agencies is also essential to enabling us to pursue our mission of accelerating research to improve health.

National Institutes of Health and National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and is the nation's medical research agency—making important discoveries that improve health and save lives. NIH is the largest source of funding for medical research in the world, and supports thousands of scientists in universities and research institutions nationwide and around the globe. It is made up of 27 Institutes and Centers, each with a specific research agenda, often focusing on particular diseases or body systems. Among these is the established National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS).

As part of the NIH, the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS) provides resources, tools, and networks to support more than 30,000 NIH-funded investigators nationwide. Among the programs administered by NCATS is the Clinical and Translational Science Awards (CTSA - See more below). Established in 2006, CTSA includes a national consortium of 60 medical research institutions in 30 states and the District of Columbia that are transforming the way biomedical research is conducted. Its goals are to speed the translation of laboratory discoveries into treatments for patients, to engage communities in clinical research efforts, and to train a new generation of clinical and translational researchers. In 2016, we received a five-year renewal grant of $85 million to continue our work in support of clinical and translational science. Learn more

Clinical & Translational Science Award Consortium

Working together as a national consortium, the 62 Clinical & Translational Science Awards (CTSA) institutions share a common vision to improve human health by transforming the research and training environment to enhance the efficiency and quality of clinical and translational research. The CTSA program is led by the National Center for Research Resources, part of the National Institutes of Health. View a list of all CTSA institutions.

Center for Leading Innovation and Collaboration 

The Center for Leading Innovation and Collaboration (CLIC) is the coordinating center for the Clinical and Translational Science Awards (CTSA) Program, which supports a network of more than 50 of the nation’s top biomedical research institutions.

The purpose of CLIC is to serve the CTSA Program through coordination, transparent communication, actionable metrics, network analytics and innovative collaboration tools for use around the consortium, and to make the work and accomplishments of the CTSA Program vibrantly visible to all stakeholders. Learn more

CTSA National Center for Data to Health 

The CTSA National Center for Data to Health (CD2H) accelerates advancements in informatics by utilizing findable, accessible, interoperable, and resusable (FAIR) principles to promote collaboration across the Clinical and Translational Science Awards (CTSA) Program community.

CD2H provides support and infrastructure to ensure a smooth and successful transition for CTSAs. Our tools and resources make it simple and valuable for CTSA Program members to get engaged, connect with peers and contribute. By increasing collaboration, the CD2H fosters a robust translational science informatics ecosystem that collectively develops solutions to solve clinical problems faster, more efficiently, and more effectively.

In Phase III, we aim to enhance our ability to coordinate community informatics needs, while continuing our goal to develop and implement enterprise-level architecture and other resources that span the entirety of the CTSA program. Learn more

Trial Innovation Network (TIN)

The Trial Innovation Network is a collaborative initiative within the CTSA Program and is composed of three key partners – the CTSA Program Hubs, the Trial Innovation Centers (TICs), and the Recruitment Innovation Center (RIC).

The vision for the Trial Innovation Network is to innovatively address critical roadblocks in clinical research and accelerate the translation of novel interventions into life-saving therapies. The Trial Innovation Network is a collaborative national network that focuses on operational innovationoperational excellence and collaboration and will leverage the expertise and resources of the CTSA Program. The Trial Innovation Network will feature a single IRB system, master contracting agreements, quality by design approaches, and a focus on evidence-based strategies to recruitment and patient engagement.

The goal of the Trial Innovation Network is to not only execute trials better, faster, and more cost-efficiently but, importantly, to be a national laboratory to study, understand and innovate the process of conducting clinical trials. Learn more

Note: CTSI Consultation Services provides expert advice to investigators with the goal of improving the quality and quantity of science at UCSF and affiliated institutions. Easily accessible, comprehensive and integrated consultations are available in diverse research fields at every stage of a study.