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In September of 2007, the University of Washington was awarded a grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to establish an Institute for Translational Health Sciences (ITHS). Such grants, awarded competitively to various academic institutions, are intended to facilitate translation of medical science from the laboratory to the clinic, "transforming how clinical and translational research is conducted, ultimately enabling researchers to provide new treatments more efficiently and quickly to patients."
The ITHS is a "collaboratory" that aims both to establish and sustain cooperative networks of translational researchers and to have a multi-institutional research impact. In the Seattle metropolitan area, the collaboratory core is the Clinical Research Centers Network (CRCN), consisting of locations where translational researchers can see subjects for research purposes. Beyond the metropolitan area, the ITHS collaboratory extends to the clinical and research infrastructure developed by the University of Washington across the five-state WWAMI region: Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana, and Idaho.
Information about ITHS membership is available at the ITHS Web site. Any investigator may complete an application for either the "member" or "scholar" level, enabling full access to ITHS resources.
The UW ITHS Web site is an excellent and ever-expanding resource. Browse it for start-up information about:
- Step-by-step guidance for submitting research applications to use the various ITHS resources, including the clinical research facilities at the UW Adult CRC and at the Seattle Children's Hospital Pediatric CRC, and
- Comprehensive information for services available to investigators, such as consultation about regulatory and bioethics issues, biostatistics, data and safety monitoring plans, data management, protocol writing, research tool development, research education and training, connecting with research partners, and more.
As currently configured, CRCN beds are separate from, but contiguous to, clinical care wards. The beds are available for use in inpatient and outpatient clinical studies, either sponsored or unsponsored.
Using the CRCN facilities requires careful adherence to the procedures and standards established by the NIH grant that supports the centers. Each application to use one of the CRCN facilities becomes part of a future competitive grant submitted to the NIH for a continuation of funding, and therefore all applications are reviewed with rigor.
With review, approval, and prioritization by the CRCN Scientific Review Committee, the CRCN facilities may be used both for clinical trials that have been designed and initiated by the investigator and for clinical trials that have been designed and initiated by a pharmaceutical company. Responsibilities for cost coverage will vary and are referenced briefly below under "Best Practices for Developing the CRCN budget."
University of Washington
Box 356178
Phone: 206-616-9195
Fax: 206-616-9250Seattle Children's Hospital
Mail stop: W-6605
Phone: (206) 987-3897 (for scheduling)
Phone: (206) 987-3084 (for budget information)
FAX: (206) 987-5160
The Scientific Review Committees - both at the UW and at Seattle Children's Hospital - review new applications monthly.
At the UW: Submit new applications by the 25th of the month so that it can be reviewed on the third Thursday of the following month, e.g., submit by June 25th to be reviewed on the third Thursday in July.
At Seattle Children's: Submit new applications by the 10th of the month so that it can be reviewed first Thursday of the following month, e.g., submit by June 10th to be reviewed on the first Thursday in July.
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