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Children's National, in partnership with The George Washington University, receives second Clinical and Translational Science Award

Federal funding enables efforts to break down research barriers and advance the search for treatments uniquely designed for children

WASHINGTON — The National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences at the National Institutes of Health has awarded Children’s National Health System, in partnership with The George Washington University (GW), another prestigious Clinical and Translational Science Award. The grant, made available to facilities across the nation through a competitive process, underwrites the existing Clinical and Translational Science Institute at Children’s National (CTSI-CN) and provides funding that is essential to continue the collaborative pediatric-focused translational research occurring at Children’s and at GW. 

“I am thrilled to see this innovative partnership continue to grow,” says Kurt Newman, M.D., President and CEO of Children’s National. “Pediatric research has always been part of our core mission. CTSI-CN takes these efforts to the next level by alleviating common challenges that researchers face in conducting pediatric research, so they can focus on the results that will really improve the lives of children.”

Adds Lisa M. Guay-Woodford, M.D., Director of the CTSI-CN and Hudson Professor of Pediatrics and Associate Vice President for Clinical and Translational Science at GW: “The CTSI-CN partnership was created to catalyze the translation of research into actual improvements in child, family and community health here in Washington, DC, and around the country. This institute breaks down traditional research barriers, empowers laboratory and clinical investigators to collaborate with community partners and eases the administrative burdens of conducting research. These multidisciplinary collaborations, which include GW faculty from the School of Medicine & Health Sciences, the Milken Institute School of Public Health and the School of Engineering & Applied Science, are key to really revolutionizing how we understand childhood health issues and care for children and their families now and in the future.”

The five-year, $24 million award provides resources to investigators working within the CTSI-CN and creates new tools and systems to assist them with planning, developing and fulfilling research improving child and family health.  

“The tools provided by the CTSI-CN partnership provide unprecedented support to investigators from the very beginning of their research study development process,” adds Robert H. Miller, Ph.D., co-Director of the CTSI-CN and Senior Associate Dean for Research in the GW School of Medicine & Health Sciences. “This partnership will enable us to foster the next generation of researchers and instill in them the principles of collaboration and responsibility in research conduct for both children and adults.”   

The CTSI-CN has identified several core areas to address and remove common challenges and barriers that impede medical research. Services include:
  • Enhanced research infrastructure, such as access for investigators to biostatistics support and informatics tools, including streamlined databases for recruiting patients for clinical trials.
  • Promotion of investigator education, training and career development, including mentorship for junior investigators.  
  • Assistance with navigating administrative research steps, including Institutional Review Board review of clinical studies and trials.
  • Financial awards for promising junior research faculty to seed early study progress.
  • Accelerating discovery and the translation of discoveries into real solutions for children and families through fostering dialogue between laboratories, care providers and community organizations.
  • A focus on establishing partnerships locally and nationally to engage the community and the Clinical and Translation Science Award network in vital research efforts, enhance research participation and foster multi-institutional collaborations.

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About Children’s National Health System
Children’s National Health System, based in Washington, DC, has been serving the nation’s children since 1870. Children’s National is ranked in the top 20 in every specialty evaluated by U.S. News & World Report; one of only four children’s hospitals in the nation to earn this distinction. Designated a Leapfrog Group Top Hospital and a two-time recipient of Magnet® status, this pediatric academic health system offers expert care through a convenient, community-based primary care network and specialty outpatient centers. Home to the Children’s Research Institute and the Sheikh Zayed Institute for Pediatric Surgical Innovation, Children’s National is one of the nation’s top NIH-funded pediatric institutions. Children’s National is recognized for its expertise and innovation in pediatric care and as a strong voice for children through advocacy at the local, regional and national levels. For more information, visit ChildrensNational.org, or follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

The George Washington University

In the heart of the nation’s capital with additional programs in Virginia, The George Washington University was created by an Act of Congress in 1821. Today, GW is the largest institution of higher education in the District of Columbia. The university offers comprehensive programs of undergraduate and graduate liberal arts study, as well as degree programs in medicine, public health, law, engineering, education, business and international affairs. Each year, GW enrolls a diverse population of undergraduate, graduate and professional students from across the United States and around the world.

About the Clinical and Translational Science Award Program
With support of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the Clinical and Translational Science Award program was launched in 2006. Since then, the program has expanded to about 60 academic medical institutions across the United States. The CTSA program is overseen by the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS). NCATS was established in 2012 to transform the translational science process so new treatments and cures for disease can be delivered to patients faster. It is one of 27 institutes and centers at the NIH. Children’s National and the George Washington University received their first CTSA award in 2010. 


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