Research Commons

CCTS supports clinical and translational research across the Partner Network. The CCTS Research Commons domain connects investigators to the expertise and technology they need, including tools, institutional resources, expert consultation and collaborators. The goal? To sharpen science and accelerate the pace of discovery, thereby improving patient care and reducing disparities and diseases that disproportionately affect our region. Learn more

Training Academy

CCTS seeks to develop a diverse and highly skilled clinical and translational research workforce well-prepared to collaborate, innovate, and accelerate the pace of scientific discoveries to improve patient care. Our Training Academy domain offers interdisciplinary, educational programs and enrichment activities for research teams across the career arc – faculty, trainees, staff and community members alike – to support a vibrant learning community with the skills, knowledge and perspective to effectively advance research insights to application. Learn more

Clinical Translation

The CCTS supports cutting-edge expertise and facilities to investigators conducting human subjects research. Our Clinical Translation domain provides cost-effective, quality services that exemplify best practice for every stage of the clinical research study lifecycle, from startup through implementation to closeout. Learn more

Engagement of Communities

The CCTS supports the development of authentic partnerships between researchers and the populations we serve. Through our Engagement of Communities domain, we provide learning and collaboration opportunities to a wide variety of community stakeholders that foster trust, help establish shared research goals, and speed the translation of knowledge into health improvements for all. Learn more

Special Modules

Leveraging unique capacity across the CCTS Partner Network, the CCTS supports distinct research areas in genomic medicine, drug discovery, precision therapeutics and medical device development. This Special Modules domain reflects the CCTS commitment to innovative techniques and technologies that improve the quality, efficiency, and impact of translational research. Learn more

Partner Network

The CCTS reaches across disciplines and across institutional boundaries locally, regionally and nationally to work synergistically with those who share our mission. Our 11-member Partner Network represents unprecedented translational research engagement drawing on complementary expertise, technical capacity and patient populations across the Deep South. We collaborate with a growing number of organizations in support of multisite studies aimed at catalyzing scientific discovery and accelerating those insights to impact health. Learn more

Responsible Conduct of Research

Our Responsible Conduct of Research page includes information on faculty refresher training plus a sample document describing Principles of Scientific Integrity (GRD717) according to the required NIH format. See also the library of successful T32 applications for examples.

Grant Samples

UAB researchers and staff can access a Sample Grant Library (BlazerID required) of successful T32 applications, made possible by award recipients who have generously shared their work. You may use the selected samples to guide your work in drafting:

• Research Training Program Plan
• Institutional Commitment to Training
• Recruitment and Retention Plan to Enhance Diversity

Project Panels

We are here to help you brainstorm ideas, generate research questions, meet possible collaborators, fine-tune study design and sharpen your proposals. Whether you want a multi-disciplinary panel for your proposal or a quick, more tailored group, we assemble whatever expertise is needed to work with you to strengthen your project. Meet with a team of scientific experts who have perused your application as a first level of peer review.

BERD

Our Biostatistics, Epidemiology and Research Design (BERD) group provides investigator support in biostatistics. We are available to collaborate with any investigators needing assistance, including faculty members, post-docs, fellows, residents, and students. 

Informatics Gateway

The Informatics Gateway is an enterprise-wide forum for collaborative project development. The Gateway gathers experts in the appropriate area of informatics, along with biostatisticians, methodologists, and clinical and translational scientists, to help investigators explore novel research directions.

Training programs should include training in big data and informatics. The NIH Data and Informatics Working Group recommended in its December 2012 report that adequate training in the quantitative skills to handle big data be required for future NRSA training grants (institutional and individual fellowships). In order to equip future biomedical researchers to access, organize, analyze and integrate biomedical big data, training may be needed in disciplines including computational biology, biostatistics, bioinformatics and the quantitative sciences.

Kaizen (R2T)

Have fun while you learn about rigor, reproducibility, and transparency! Our online R2T game, built on a Kaizen web-based platform developed by CCTS Informatics, helps investigators meet an NIH policy requiring formal training in R2T.

Drop-in Clinics

Join us for weekly Drop-In Clinic for free consultations in Biostats, Epidemiology and Research Design (BERD), Biorepository, Bionutrition, Clinical Research Unit (CRU), and Institutional Review Board (IRB). Topics vary by week. No appointment necessary. Bring laptop and study related questions. 

Mentoring ToolBox

An Individual Development Plan (IDP), recommended by the Office of Postdoctoral Education, can facilitate dialogue between mentor and postdocs to plan goals for training and is now strongly encouraged by the NIH for every graduate student and postdoc supported by an NIH grant, regardless of funding mechanism.

External Resources

National Research Mentoring Network (NRMN)

NRMN is a powerful social networking platform for students and researchers across the biomedical, behavioral, social, and clinical sciences to connect with one another for anything from general questions about research and professional development as a scientist to scheduling more formal mentorship appointments one-on-one or as a group.

NIH Instructions, Forms, FAQs:

• View NIH Forms and the SF424 Guide, including supplemental guidelines for NRSA (including T32) applications. The standard due dates for Ts are January, May and September 25th. Use this schedule as a guide to plan ahead — begin to prepare four to six months ahead of the deadline.
• The T-Kiosk is a one-stop place for all T-related program announcements as well as general policy announcements that affect training grants.
• Check the individual NIH Institutes and Centers for institute-specific policies and requirements for T32s, and suggested formats for the information to be included in the program plan. Programmatic contacts for each institute are listed at the end of the T32 Parent Program Announcement. The NIH posts a list of Frequently Asked Questions - NRSA Research Training Grants. A number of the individual institutes have created FAQs that have general applicability, such as NIAID.
• eRA Commons account: Need to apply for one or make a change to your role? Click here to view the form.  

To find out about the latest learning opportunities as soon as they are announced, subscribe to CCTS Digest and check our Events and Recurring Events web pages.