Columbia University receives NIH grant to expand clinical, translational research

Jul 19 2011

A Columbia University institute, whose goal is to accelerate the pace of translating science into real-life treatments for patients, received $38.9 million from the National Institutes of Health to expand its work over the next five years.

The Irving Institute for Clinical and Translational Research (IICTR) is among 10 institutes nationwide to receive renewed funding, in recognition of their successes during the first five years of the Clinical and Translational Science Awards (CTSA) program, which is administered by the NIH's National Center for Research Resources (NCRR).

The other institutions are Mayo Clinic; Oregon Health & Science University; Rockefeller University; University of California, Davis; University of California, San Francisco; University of Pennsylvania; University of Pittsburgh; University of Rochester; and Yale University.

"These institutes were the pioneers in this program and are to be commended for the work they have done in bridging the traditional divides between laboratory research and medical practice," said NCRR Director Barbara Alving, MD. "They were tasked with transforming the way their institutions coordinate research to make it more proactive and effective in producing real-world results, and in the process, they have served as innovative models nationwide."

Together, the institutes represent a $498 million renewed commitment on NIH's part to speed translational research nationwide. NIH will release a progress report on the program in August, highlighting research that has emerged from Columbia University Medical Center and other institutes in the CTSA consortium.

The renewal awards validate the success of the Irving Institute for Clinical and Translational Research and its sister programs in creating a framework for scientists to collaborate on promising research and to focus training and resources on moving these projects ahead.

"The renewal of CUMC's CTSA," says Lee Goldman, MD, executive vice president of Columbia University and dean of the faculties of health sciences and medicine at Columbia University Medical Center, "reflects our commitment to interdisciplinary research that translates our discoveries into improved patient care, both in our community and around the world. Congratulations to Dr. Henry Ginsberg and his talented and dedicated team."

Columbia University Medical Center