2025 Fall CTSA Program Annual Meeting

The workshop session offers CTSA hubs a collaborative space to discuss an emerging focus on new areas to realign strengths and strategies in response to evolving translational science challenges. Participants will share new insights, explore adaptive approaches, and identify new opportunities to identify emerging goals or expand upon existing CTSA strategic goals. The session is aimed at Strategic-, Pilot- and/or Commercialization Program Leads. Attendees will gain insight into CTSA hubs’ role in bridging discovery to delivery — whether in nutritional science, chronic disease management, or product development — into real-world applications that improve patient and population health.

Effectively communicating the value and impact of translational science—and the work of the CTSA consortium—has never been more critical. This dynamic session will bring together experts to explore how we measure the real-world impact of translational research on community health and well-being. Panelists will share best practices for demonstrating the value of CTSA hubs to diverse audiences, including institutional leaders, funders, policymakers, and community members. The session will highlight strategies for aligning scientific goals with community priorities and planning for successful cross-hub collaborations that will amplify the visibility and relevance of translational science. Attendees will gain practical insights and tools for making the case for CTSA-driven impact, both locally and nationally. We will conclude with an interactive discussion on actionable next steps to strengthen communication, foster collaboration, and advance best practices for communicating translational science impact across the CTSA consortium.

CTSA Program hubs can strengthen researcher resilience and retention by adopting proven strategies from crisis response efforts. This session will explore how CTSA Program hubs can strengthen resilience and wellbeing among researchers and trainees during and after crises. Presenters will share the UCLA CTSI’s response to the LA wildfires, highlighting strategies for maintaining research continuity and supporting community wellbeing. A national survey of CTSA scholars and trainees will provide insights into the lasting impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on emerging researchers. One presentation will offer a personal perspective on the challenges faced by early-stage investigators, emphasizing how institutions can proactively prepare and support them, with real-world examples of effective institutional responses. The session will also highlight the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation’s Fund to Retain Clinical Scientists, showcasing practical approaches to supporting faculty and reducing burnout. Attendees will leave with actionable strategies and lessons learned to promote a more resilient, inclusive, and sustainable translational research workforce across CTSA hubs.

Whether AI ecosystems live in the cloud, on a locally controlled premises, or in a hybrid format informs hardware and software choices, training and education, scalability, and privacy and cybersecurity controls. How the institution chooses to organize its data – from protocols and budgets to patient level information – has implications for leveraging local information. As AI moves from algorithm development to deployment, the ethical framework for review and approval of research projects using AI requires attention. Institutional review boards, compliance, and cybersecurity offices should have a common understanding of local pathways for review of research using AI interventions and should ensure pathways mitigate risk while not limiting discovery. It is critical for our community to advocate for systems and processes that truly provide value for the CTR and CTS communities. Speakers will discuss key aspects of developing an AI-ready institutional environment and the role of CTSA.

Rather than a technical deep dive into data systems, this session focuses on how Real World Data (RWD) is being used meaningfully in the real world. Panelists will share practical examples and lessons learned from applying RWD across diverse research domains, while also addressing the ethical considerations and data governance that must guide its use. 

The AIM-AHEAD Consortium and the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS) have partnered to develop a traineeship in AI/ML using the N3C Data Enclave. The first part of the session provides an overview of the program, presents the utility of educational assets available to the CTSAs, and highlights existing training and education gaps in AI/ML in the context of RWD. Building on this, the second part of the session will highlight several active Element E projects that demonstrate the utility of RWD in CTS research. Together, the presentations underscore the importance of increasing statistical literacy in the CTS workforce to accompany the expansion of RWD data available for research.