Groups/Individuals interested in forming a Working Group are required to propose and deliver well-defined projects or deliverables that fill identified translational gaps and/or further the CTSA Program objectives in high-priority areas in clinical and translational science. Projects may result in outputs such as consensus papers, white papers, publications, and/or plans for workshops, symposiums, meetings, and/or a conference.
Working Groups are often sponsored by CTSA Enterprise Committees (EC). While EC sponsorship is not required, it is highly encouraged by the Steering Committee and offers an opportunity for more input and review by Consortium leaders as well as provides a venue for promotion and recruitment of Working Group volunteers.
Working Group Proposal Cycle Information
Submissions are currently Closed
Next submission period is on March 1, 2025
Form questions are still available for viewing through the PDF version.
Annual Proposal Cycles
Pending Working Group resource availability, open calls for Working Group Proposal cycles occur two times per year (see schedule below). When the Proposal Due date lands on a weekend, the cycle close date will be extended to the following Monday. To have your Working Group idea considered for approval by the CTSA Program Steering Committee for either round, please complete and submit a proposal form no later than 3:00 p.m. ET on the day listed below. The proposal questions (.pdf) can be found below.
Fall Submission Timeline
System Live
September 1
Proposals Due
September 30
SC Review
December
Earliest WG Start
January 1
Spring Submission Timeline
System Live
March 1
Proposals Due
March 31
SC Review
June
Earliest WG Start
July 1
Key Topic Areas of Interest
The CTSA Steering Committee is looking for Working Group Proposals that align within the following key areas:
- Learning health and research systems
- Best practices for navigating the Science of Translation
- Causes of rising midlife mortality in America (Case & Deaton, PNAS, 2015)
- Climate change and health
- National training curricula in CTS
- Diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility
- Enhancing the impact of clinical trials
- Artificial Intelligence
Form Criteria
Criteria for the Working Group Proposal form include:
- Submitter’s name(s), email address(es) and institution(s)
- EC Sponsorship
- How WG differs from or complements current consortium efforts
- Purpose of the Working Group
- Deliverable(s)
- Proposed Metrics (if applicable)
- Workgroup Membership
- Needed Expertise
- Type of support requested
- Timeline / Milestones (including proposed start and end date)
- Sunset criteria
- Options to obtain additional CTSA Program (Coordinating Center) resources
Eligibility and Membership Requirements
Who is eligible to submit a proposal and who can be a member:
- Members of the CTSA Program with an active CCOS account are eligible to submit a proposal. WG proposals may be submitted by any hub or pod member, EC or consortium group member.
- Membership is open to all personnel of CTSA Program hubs. CTSA Program hubs can consist of a single institution, plus the possibility of one or more participating partner institutions. Note that hubs in a no cost extension are eligible to participate. Community members may participate, and each WG may decide on a nominating process for community members.
Working Group Proposals Evaluation Criteria
Working Group Proposals are evaluated by the Steering Committee based on the criteria below:
- Importance of purpose
- Value of deliverables to the Consortium and Clinical and Translational Science
- Feasibility
- Proposed expertise
- Alignment with CTSA/NCATS goals
The Steering Committee may request additional information or clarification or suggest revisions prior to determining whether they will approve the proposal, or deny, defer, approve with a delayed start or recommend as a discussion forum. Working Groups that are approved by CTSA Program Steering Committee will be supported.
CCOS Support for Working Groups
CCOS will provide the following logistics support for monthly Working Group meetings:
- Creation and maintenance of Working Group membership and distribution lists
- Meeting coordination
- Zoom meeting set up and maintenance
- Agenda building and distribution
- Production of meeting notes and attendance records
- Post meeting materials to CCOS website
- Action item follow up
Additional support provided upon request
The following additional support may be requested; approval for this support will be dependent on available resources
- Support for survey design and implementation from CCOS Survey team
- Professional Manuscript Proofreading
- Manuscript Publication Charge Reimbursement