Community Engagement Institute (CEI) Perspectives: Maternal Mortality, April 27th
The CCTS will host the next CEI Perspectives on Friday, April 27th from 2-4pm, focused on the issue of Maternal Mortality. This virtual event features a panel of experts from the Jefferson County Dept. of Health, Auburn School of Nursing, Alabama State Perinatal Division, and more, leading discussions around this critical issue facing communities in our region and beyond. Through this discussion we aim to explore ways to partner in research toward solutions.

Top 10 Problems Reviewers Cite in Applications
We know this time of year is filled with a rush to meet many grant application deadlines. The NIH Office of Extramural Research recently shared their list of common pitfalls reviewers identify while critiquing grant applications. Check out the list here!
Looking for additional support in strengthening your grant applications? Click here to learn about CCTS Panels and to request yours today!
Data & Safety Monitoring Boards: Understanding the Role of the Chair
Richard Whitley, MD, Co-Lead of the CCTS Drug Discovery initiative and UAB Distinguished Professor, recently shared lessons he’s learned over many years of participating in research studies. His 14-minute presentation provides guidance for each step of successful collaboration with your DSMB chair.
Announcing the 2022 CCTS TL1 Predoctoral Trainees
Mining the Genome: Issue 12
Save the Date for the 6th Annual Translational and Transformative Informatics Symposium (ATTIS)
CCTS Panels Program: Over 1400 Investigators Can’t Be Wrong
Project Panels leverage the community of scholarship across the CCTS Partner Network to work with you to brainstorm ideas, generate research questions, meet possible collaborators, fine-tune study design, and sharpen your proposals. Whether you want a multi-disciplinary panel of experts for your proposal or a quickly-deployed, tailored group, we assemble the expertise needed to work with you to strengthen your project.
New Community & Scientific Action Board (CSAB) to Guide Community-Engaged Research, Support Health Priorities in the Region
In Case You Missed It: The 2022 CCTS Bioethics Forum
Register for Case Studies in Collaboration & Teamwork
Get to Know the 2022 CCTS Bioethics Forum Panelists
CCTS Bioethics Forum is Three Weeks Away!
CCTS Welcomes New Program Director
2021 Year in Review
The 2022 Clinical and Translational Science Training Program Begins!
Start the New Year with Your CCTS
Case Studies in Mentoring Returns on January 10
New Leadership in the CCTS Training Academy
UALCAN: Taking Cancer Data Further
This resource was developed and released to public use by Darshan Chandrashekar, PhD, from the Department of Pathology and O’Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center, under the leadership of Sooryanarayana Varambally, PhD, to enhance the speed of the cancer research, biomarker and target discovery. This resource is developed for usability by both experts and researchers with no background in large scale sequencing and data analysis. Since its inception in late 2017, this continuously evolving cancer data analysis portal has received over 760,000 site visits from across the world and over 2,100 citations and received over 1000 citations in 2021.
Find out what UALCAN can do for your cancer research today.
Community Engagement Institute (CEI) Perspectives: Community Violence, December 17th
Learn more and register to bring your perspective to the conversation.
Get to Know the 2021 CCTS Trainees and Scholars
2021 Annual Rural Health Conference Call for Abstracts
The focus of this event will be "Tightening the Stroke Belt: Prevention, Emergency Management, and Rehabilitation of Stroke in the Nation’s Most Affected Region." The deadline for submissions is January 7, 2022.
NCATS at 10: Improving Health for All Through Translational Science
CCTS Predoctoral Clinical/Translational Research Program (TL1) Applications Due in One Month
Mining the Genome: Issue 10
Get to Know the 2021 CCTS Trainees & Scholars
CCTS Clinical & Translational Science Training Program Applications Due November 15!
CCTS Bionutrition: Supporting Excellence in Nutrition Research throughout Our Region
CCTS & National COVID Cohort Collaborative (N3C)
Get to Know the 2021 CCTS Trainees & Scholars

CCTS Assembles for Annual External Advisory Committee Meeting
After a welcome from Drs. Selwyn Vickers, and Chris Brown, leadership from across the Partner Network discussed collaborative opportunities surrounding COVID-19, chronic disease, community engagement, precision medicine, clinical research, informatics and much more. Allan Brasier, MD, Chair of the EAC and CTSA PI at UW Madison, shared encouragement surrounding the challenges all Hubs have faced due to the pandemic:
Our EAC Chair expressed, "Congratulations on maintaining momentum and on being able to address the important needs of trainees during this difficult time. You are positioned well with the strength of your Partner Network to continue to expand the reach and impact of the CCTS."
New Collaboration to Reduce Disparities in Chronic Diseases in the Deep South
CCTS & TriNetX: A new paradigm to bridge sponsors, trial sites, and investigators in the conduct of clinical trials
Now Accepting CCTS Predoctoral Clinical/Translational Research Program (TL1) Applications
The immersive program provides 12 months of protected time for trainees to develop projects focused on reducing health disparities and/or diseases that disproportionately affect the Deep South. The program provides a stipend and support for tuition, among other benefits. Apply by December 15, 2021.
Get Outside and Experience Fall in the Deep South
Hackathon Yields AI-Inspired Ideas to Fight Cancer
This year’s event aimed to tackle cancer-related challenges in healthcare, with 50 participants across 12 teams competing for the top prizes.
Get to Know the 2021 CCTS Trainees & Scholars
Mining the Genome: Issue 9
6 Tips for an Amazing Panel Experience
CCTS Regional Shared Facilities & Resources
Get to Know the 2021 CCTS Trainees & Scholars
Get to know Natalie Hohmann, PharmD, PhD, and Carmen E. Capó-Lugo, PT, PhD.
The CCTS Partner Network Pilot Program is accepting pre-applications!
Apply by October 25th at 5pm.
CCTS & TriNetX™: Advancing clinical research and population health with real-world data
Mining the Genome - Issue 8
Get to Know the 2021 CCTS Trainees & Scholars
Getting Started with Veterans Affairs Research: Two Investigators Share Their Experience

Mugavero Appointed CCTS Co-Director
In this capacity he will take point in working with CCTS Domain leaders to identify, integrate, and coordinate cross-domain programs and resources aligned with overarching UAB LHS goals. Along with the CCTS Executive Committee, Mugavero will engage with Partner Network leaders to identify opportunities to advance multi-site LHS efforts across academic health centers in our three state region, building upon ongoing initiatives.
Mining the Genome - Issue 7
NIH Diversity Related Funding Opportunity Announcements
Get to Know the 2021 CCTS Trainees & Scholars
Get to know Desalyn Johnson and Griffin Wright.
Request for Applications: CCTS Diversity Supplement for DRIVEN Scholars
LOIs are due July 31, 2021.
Now Accepting Applications for LEAD: Learn, Enhance, Advance, Drive
CCTS Welcomes New Director of the UAB Physician Scientist Development Office, William M. Geisler, MD, MPH
Get to Know the 2021 CCTS Trainees & Scholars
Learn more about Dr. Samantha Hill, Keonte Graves, and Claudia Edell.
Re-engineering the Clinical Research Enterprise in Response to COVID-19: The CTSA Experience
Get to Know the 2021 CCTS Trainees & Scholars
Join the Hundreds of Investigators Excelling with CCTS Panels
I-Corps@NCATS Participant Dr. Karim Budhwani Receives $50,000 Award for NIH Innovation Commercialization Accelerator for Startup
How Strong is Your Ability to Adapt & Grow? A Lesson in Resilience
New! Telehealth Resources for Clinical Researchers
Biostats4You Launches with Biostatics Training Tailored to All Researchers
Questions? Contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
2021 Translational Research Summer Series Kicks Off Next Month
“The Summer Series was an ideal learning experience for me, as a clinician interested in using my real-world experience as the backbone for my research. The programming was practical, and the lecturers were approachable, which enhanced the overall quality of the course. The online format also allowed me access to this series where normally I wouldn’t have access. I’d recommend the course to anyone interested in improving clinical outcomes. From those just starting out on their research journeys like me, to the highly experienced researchers looking to take their work to a more translational tilt.” – Robin Riddle, PT, DPT, UAB School of Public Health, Department of Health Behavior Doctoral Student
Introducing the NCATS Life Course Visual Toolkit
- How to Mine Observational Data to Link the Phenome & Exposome
- How to Integrate Data Across the Lifespan
- Statistical Methods for Complexity Science
- How to Implement Public Policy
Interested in applying for NCATS’ Small Business Program funding? Five things to know as you get started.
I-Corps@NCATS program kicks off May 28, hosted by the CCTS and the Georgia Clinical & Translational Science Alliance
On the impact of the program, former I-Corps@NCATS participant Dr. Andrew Smith, Vice Chair of Clinical Research and Professor of Radiology at UAB, and founder of AI Metrics, LLC, says, “The I-Corps@NCATS experience was a critical component for our customer discovery, allowing us to better direct our efforts toward what the customer really wanted rather than forcing a product of our own design to a market that may not have accepted it. My team has continued using what learned as we begin our sales cycle and enter the market.”
Click here to register.
Mining the Genome - Issue 5
Annual CCTS Bioethics Forum Yields Powerful Conversation
CCTS Announces the 2021 Predoctoral Trainees!
Translational Science 2021 (TS21) is Here: CCTS Engaged in Sharing, Learning
Translational Science Misconceptions
Mining the Genome - Issue 4
The framework for genomic risk assessment and management for common diseases continues to evolve and Nita Limdi, PharmD, PhD, MSPH, and her team are working to measure its value in preventive healthcare.
Meet the 2021 CCTS Bioethics Forum Panelists
2020 Year in Review
CCTS Welcomes New CTSTP Cohort
10 Holiday Activities You Can Do During a Pandemic
Didn't Catch the Grant Proposal Development Academy? Here's What You Missed.
Mining the Genome - Issue 2
This month, we had a chance to discuss the All of Us Research Program with Dr. Korf. The launch of the Research Workbench Beta is driving forward momentum of genomic medicine research and is available to investigators now.

What You Need to Know about Agreements for Sponsored Projects & IRB Approval
Details of the revised policy can be found at the UAB policies and procedures library. For questions regarding this policy revision, please contact your OSP officer.
CCTS and UAB Collat School of Business to host “Accelerating Your Research to the Commercialization Stage” on Nov. 18th
Now Accepting CCTS Predoctoral Clinical/Translational Research Program (TL1) Applications
CCTS Awarded for National Innovation Corps (I-Corps) Program Expansion
Register for the All of Us Researcher Workbench Onboarding Session
Register now.
Mining the Genome 1.0
CCTS Partners Participate in the Community Engagement Alliance (CEAL) Against COVID-19 Disparities
Community Engagement Institute (CEI) 2020 Wrap-Up
CCTS Awarded NIH IMPROVE Supplement
CCTS Now Accepting Applications for CTSTP 2021

CTS Alumnus Anand Iyer, MD, MSPH, Receives Prestigious Paul B. Beeson Emerging Leaders Career Development Award in Aging
Check Out Our Newest Web Resource for COVID-19 Vaccine Information
Registration is open for the CCTS Grant Proposal Development Academy
Join us in congratulating Drs. Eta Berner and George Howard!
Receiving the honor of Distinguished Professor is Dr. George Howard, in the UAB Dept. of Biostatistics in the School of Public Health. Dr. Howard was founding Director of the CCTS Biostatistics, Epidemiology and Research Design Unit. “Dr. Howard, with his passion for helping colleagues succeed in their academic goals, established the foundation of the productive multidisciplinary BERD unit we have today. “ –David Redden, PhD, Director, CCTS Biostatistics, Epidemiology & Research Design (BERD).
Register Today! Spots for this Specific Aims Intensive will fill quickly.
N3C is Open for Business. Learn How to Get Started.
UAB Seeks Distributed Informatics Analytics Core (DIAC) Director
COVID & Communities: Access, Education, & Testing
Saying Goodbye to Lucy's Coffee and Tea
Morning Coffee Conversations Continue: Concerns and Logistics for Resuming Research at UAB
Gearing Up for Reentry: Returning to Clinical Studies
Meet the CCTS 2020 Pilot Awardees
Working with COVID-19 Biospecimens
CCTS Tools That Will Keep You Moving Forward
CCTS Forum Recap: Conducting Clinical and Translational Research in the Time of COVID-19
Finding the Balance: A Work-From-Home Survival Guide
Crash Course for Clinical Research: Where to Start & What to Know
5th Annual CCTS Bioethics Forum Roundup
Meet One of this Year’s Community Health Innovation Award (CHIA) Winner, Chocolate Milk Mommies
CCTS Welcomes New CTSTP Cohort
Announcing the 2020 TL1 Trainees!
Calling All Research Teams: U-BRITE 2.0 Launch Day is January 29th!
CCTS Research Seminar Series: Common Rule Single IRB Mandate
Register Today for the 5th Annual CCTS Bioethics Forum
NIH Representatives Visit the CCTS “Hub”
CHIA 2019 Grantees Announced!
Required Training Gets Sweeter during February’s National Launch of Kaizen
CCTS External Advisory Committee Convenes for Annual Meeting
TL1 Program Application Deadline Extended
CCTS Co-Director James Cimino Receives 2019 Morris F. Collen Award of Excellence
EDW Analyst-Supported Services: Complicated Queries Made Simple
Meet Dana Rizk, Medical Director of the Clinical Trials Administrative Office
i2b2: What It Can Do For You
Clinical & Translational Science Training Program Application Deadline Extended
CCTS Launches the ACT Network Enabling Easy, Nationwide Cohort Discovery and Data Sharing
Clinical Trials Initiative Town Hall Meetings
Registration Closing Soon! Join us for the CCTS 2nd Annual Translational Training Symposium.
The 2nd Annual CCTS Translational Training Symposium will convene predoctoral, postdoctoral, and early career scholars, as well as their mentors and training grant leaders, from across the CCTS Partner Network for experiential training and career development sessions on translational and design thinking, grant writing, clinical trials, community engagement, and funding opportunities.
Translational Science 2020 Conference: Call for Abstracts Now Open!
One-Minute Writing Improvements: Energize Your Words with Active Voice
Meet the One Great Community Council Members
Meet the OGC Council Members.
Ten Tips for Next Generation Interdisciplinary Research
Here's How to Add an ORCID to Your NCBI Profile
To add an ORCID to your NCBI Profile, follow these 3 steps or watch this brief video, courtesy of SciENcv, part of My NCBI (National Center for Biotechnology Information).
- Register for your ORCID at https://orcid.org/register.
- Link your ORCID from eRA Commons, SciENcv biosketches, UAB Faculty Profiles, data repositories, and other appropriate professional sites such as LinkedIn or Scopus author IDs.
- Submit ORCID on grants, publications, data sets, etc.
Join the CCTS Leadership Team to Elevate Clinical and Translational Research to New Heights
With the recent renewal of its NIH award, the CCTS embarks on a new phase – CCTS 3.0 – to elevate platforms for scientific excellence, research partnership, workforce development and community engagement. This ambitious vision for growth and advancement will rely on our dedicated leadership team, with its enthusiasm and tenacity to develop strategic initiatives and facilitate their implementation. To support this growth, the CCTS seeks applications for the position of Deputy Director to expand the CCTS leadership team in the continuing development of clinical and translational investigation at the CCTS Hub at UAB and across the CCTS Partner Network.
So What? Why Your Science Communication Matters & How to Make it Better
Here are ten tips on how to better communicate your science—whether it is with a reporter, community member or science writer.
Meet Our New LEAD Cohort
Congratulations to our 2019-2020 Learn Enhance Advance Drive (LEAD) Cohort! These 16 participants are committed to enhancing their interpersonal and leadership skills. The purpose of the LEAD program is to build a pipeline of future leaders within UAB, the CCTS Hub.
Time is Running Out! Apply for the CCTS Interdisciplinary Network Pilot Program
The CCTS seeks to develop the future translational research workforce in a spirit that fosters collaboration, team science, and innovative discovery. Applicants may apply for up to $60,000 in direct costs, with the CCTS Hub committing up to half. Early Stage Investigators are strongly encouraged to apply by Monday, October 21.
In Case You Missed It: Bioinformatics Round Up
Jake Y. Chen, PhD, Co-Director of CCTS Informatics, presented “Bioinformatics for Single-cell Analysis: A Review of Computational Biology Trends and Application Opportunities” to a full house at a recent Informatics Institute PowerTalk Seminar Series. Those who attended listened as Dr. Chen discussed single-cell RNA sequencing as a revolutionary technology to study the heterogeneity and clonal evolution of cells.
September’s CCTS Lunch & Learn Breaks Attendance Record
More than 200 people attended the quarterly CCTS Lunch and Learn on Tuesday, September 17. The goal of the quarterly CCTS Lunch & Learn is to provide critical guidance on new or changing requirements in support of clinical research. September’s event included updates on OnCore, ClinicalTrials.gov, Compliance, Greenphire, and more. If you missed it, download the presentation slide deck and find the recorded presentation on the CCTS YouTube channel.
Plan to join us for the next CCTS Lunch & Learn on December 10.
CHIA Innovation Workshop 2019
Check out the latest photos from the Community Health Innovation Award's 7th Annual Innovation Workshop, which took place on Saturday, September 28.
CCTS Translational Training Symposium Registration Now Open!
Join the CCTS Partner Network at the second annual CCTS Translational Training Symposium in Gulf Shores, Alabama on November 14-15. This networking and learning opportunity offers grant writing and project manager training, interdisciplinary panel discussions, specific aims workshops, BERD consults, and much more. Reserve your spot today and take advantage of the CCTS room block rate. Registration will close Friday, November 1.
CCTS Accepting Applications for CTSTP 2020
Become a translational thinker and increase your team science skills with our popular six month Clinical and Translational Science Training Program (CTSTP)! This competitive, career-boosting opportunity is open to grad students, postdocs, and faculty from across the CCTS Partner Network. Apply by 5:00pm, Monday, November 4, 2019.
Broaden Your Career Options with the CCTS Predoctoral Clinical / Translational Research Program
This mentored research experience provides skills that will help equip the curious and creative with the tools and expertise to thrive as investigators in any setting (e.g., academic medicine, government, pharma). The immersive program provides 12 months of protected time for trainees to develop projects focused on reducing health disparities and/or diseases that disproportionately affect the Deep South. The program provides a stipend and support for tuition, among other benefits. Apply by Sunday, December 1, 2019.
For a list of older Digest stories, see our News Archives.