Our popular eight-week mentoring series relaunches on Wednesday, Sept. 5, with new topics on authorship and cultivating ethics. Discover new strategies for navigating nuanced mentor-mentee relationships and earn a certificate documenting Excellence in Mentoring, a career-enhancing skill. All sessions are facilitated by experienced UAB mentors and open to the CCTS Partner Network.

Mark your calendar for Friday, October 12, and join us for "Building Bridges for Better Health through Engaging Communities." Our 5th annual CEI will take place at a new location: the Hyatt Regency Hotel & Conference Center in Hoover, AL. Stay tuned to CCTS Digest for additional details, including a call for presentations and posters and registration information.

What does it take to excel in today's dynamic clinical research environment? Our six-week training answers this question and more, preparing research staff with the basics of implementing and managing a clinical study or trial with an emphasis on Good Clinical Practice (GCP). Useful for those just starting out in research or who seek an update to maintain the highest standards of excellence.

In case you missed it, several of our former CCTS trainees, awardees, and panel participants have made the news recently. We applaud their accomplishments, highlighted here to inspire the next generation of clinical and translational scientists, as well as the CCTS experts who supported these superstars along the way (many of whom have recently made the news as well!).

Are you ready to train hard to ensure your science matters to potential customers? Can your latest discovery pass muster with our entrepreneurial experts? Our three-week I-Corps@NCATS Bootcamp offers investigators a proven technique for exploring the commercial value of their work by helping them connect with those who stand to benefit from it. Learn how to "pitch" your research project (or technology, protocol, intervention) to any audience, including funders and potential collaborators. Bootcamp starts at 08:00 on Friday, Sept. 12.

Does your research project require human imaging on Highlands 3T, PET/MR, PET/CT, CT and/or small animal Imaging on the 9.4T, MRI, Micro PET/CT? Do you need to purchase radionuclides or radiopharmaceuticals from the UAB Cyclotron Facility? Would a one-year award of up to $15,000 in direct costs help? CCTS, in collaboration with UAB's Dept. of Radiology and School of Medicine, has released a new pilot RFA to help promote pre-clinical and clinical research in preparation for publication and grant applications. Eligible full-time faculty and early investigators at any CCTS Partner Network institution are encouraged to apply by 5pm CT Friday, Sept. 21.

More than 120 people joined us for our biannual Open House on Wednesday, August 1. In addition to the usual festivities, the event featured information about our latest learning, funding, and collaboration opportunities. ICYMI we recap the high points.

Registration for the 2018 CCTS CHIA grant cycle is now open to 501(c)(3) organizations with a creative idea for solving an “on the ground” health challenge in Birmingham. We seek to support novel, collaborative, inclusive, and sustainable solutions that address real-world community health needs (see our CHIA web page for examples). Once registered, the next step is to attend the mandatory Innovation Workshop on Sat., September 29, at the UAB Lister Hill Library Edge of Chaos

Do you have a translational team science story to share? The Great CTSA Team Science Contest is an opportunity to share experiences that encouraged or advanced team science—including programs, support services, events, and collaborations. Innovative ideas and lessons learned also are welcome. Designed by the Collaboration Engagement Domain Task Force, the contest is open to any CCTS investigator, community member, or staff. Winners’ stories will be featured at the CTSA Program Fall Meeting in October. Submit by Wed., September 5.