Help Topics

To register for a new user account, you'll need to complete the following steps:

• Access the User Account Request page
• Complete the personal information, institutional information, contact information, and optional information pages
• Submit the User Account Request
• Wait for account approval and activation 

III. Step-by-Step Registration Guide

Step 1: Accessing the Registration Page: To begin, navigate to our website homepage (https://ccos-cc.ctsa.io/) and look for the “Register" button/link at the top right corner of the page. Click on it to navigate to the User Account Request page.

Step 2: Providing User Information: On the User Account Request page you will be prompted to provide your personal information, institution information, contact information, and optional information. Fields marked with an asterisk (*) are required. Please ensure accuracy when providing this information.

Note: If your institution is registered with InCommon you will be directed to the Contact Information Page A where you will be asked to input the email address you use for your institution single sign-on. If you’re institution is not registered through InCommon, or you select “Other” then you will be directed to Contact Information Page B where you will be asked to input the email address you use for login.gov. If you do not have an account, you will need to create a login.gov account.   

Contact Information Page A (see note above) 

Contact Information Page B (see note above) 

Step 3: Submitting the User Account Request Form: Before submitting the registration form, double-check all the information you've provided. Make sure your email address is accurate as you will receive a verification email confirming that your user account request has successfully been submitted. Once you are satisfied, click the "Submit" button to complete the registration process.

Step 4: User Account Request Approval: Once your request has been submitted, you will receive a confirmation email from JIRA with your support number.  

IV. Troubleshooting Tips:

If you encounter any errors during registration, ensure that you've entered all required information correctly.? If you don't receive the verification email, check your spam or junk folder.

V. Additional Support: If you need further assistance or have any questions, contact the CCOS Support Team:

E-Mail: support@ccos.ctsa.io

To log in to your CCOS account, select the Log In option from the menu bar on the Homepage. From there you will be redirected to the main Login page. Select the identity provider used when creating your account (InCommon, Login.gov, or NIH) and enter your login credentials. If successful, you will be redirected to the CCOS Homepage and see a user icon and the option to log out of your account in place of the login button.

If you are experiencing issues with creating a new account, logging in to an existing account, or you forgot your password, please contact the CCOS Support Team at support@ccos.ctsa.io. A member of our team will respond within one business day.

How to Join a Discussion Forum 

Step 1: Log In to Your CCOS Account 

Ensure that you are logged in to your CCOS account. If you don't have one, request a CCOS user account by completing the online form here. Choose an identity provider (NIH, InCommon, or Login.gov) for logging in. 

Step 2: Navigate to the Discussion Forums Page 

On the CCOS website, under the "CTSA Groups and Meetings" menu, find and click on "Discussion Forums." 

Step 3: Select the Desired Discussion Forum 

Scroll through the page to locate the specific discussion forum of interest. Click the "View Forum" button next to the desired forum.

Step 4: Choose Your Login Option 

On the selected discussion forum page, you'll be redirected to the NCATS Google Login page. Choose between "New User" or "Returning User" based on your status. 

Log in using your institution login credentials through InCommon, your Login.gov account, or your NIH login credentials. 

Step 5: Log In Again 

You will be directed to the CTSA Login page. Log in again with your selected identity provider to access the Discussion Forum page. 

Step 6: Apply to Join the Discussion Forum 

If it's your first time accessing the discussion forum, click on the "Apply to Join" button. 

Await an email notification confirming the administrator's approval or denial of your request. 

If you encounter any issues, refer to the "Discussion Forums Access and Features Guide" or contact support@ccos.ctsa.io for support. 

To subscribe to the Ansible newsletter, click here. Enter your email address, first name, and last name and click the Subscribe button. You will receive an email confirming your subscription. Be sure to mark communications@ccos.ctsa.io as an approved sender so upcoming Ansible issues are not sent to your spam folder.

To view past issues of the Ansible, check out the CCOS archive on Mailchimp. There, you will have access to the twenty most recent issues.

To subscribe to a listserv, you must send an email to listserv@list.nih.gov with the following text in the message body (not the "Subject" line): Subscribe Listserv Name (where Listserv Name is the listserv you wish to subscribe to) and Your Full Name. 

1. The NIH listserv system will get your email address from the “From:” address of your email message. Example: subscribe CTSA_EVALUATORS John Doe  

Tips:  

1. If you wish to subscribe to more than one listserv, you will have to send separate, individual emails for each self-subscription. 
2. You must email listserv@list.nih.gov from the email account you wish to add to the listserv. Your administrative assistant or other delegated person cannot request to join the listserv on your behalf as the system auto-recognizes the sender’s email address and adds that email to the listserv.  
3. For optimal results, please remove your signature block from the body of the email.  
4. Within approximately one minute, you should receive an automated response to your email.  
5. Once you click the confirmation link within the automated response email, you will be directed to a subscription confirmation message on the NIH Listserv page. 

Below are the names of the CTSA Listservs:

• CTSA_ADMINISTRATORS_LIST 
• CTSA_COMMUNICATIONS
• CTSA_EVALUATORS

For additional support with subscribing to the CTSA Evaluators listserv contact support@ccos.ctsa.io.

The Collaborative Space is a powerful tool within the CCOS platform designed to facilitate seamless collaboration among members of working groups. With the Collaborative Space, working group members can easily share files, collaborate on documents in real-time, and engage in discussions to drive forward the group's objectives.

To access your working group's Collaborative Space, simply log in to the CCOS website and navigate to your working group's landing page. There, you'll find a convenient "Collaborative Space" button that will direct you to your designated suite.

New or returning users looking to gain access to the Collaborative Space can find detailed instructions in the Accessing the Collaborative Space guidance document. 

Additionally, Working Group Chairs will find guidance here on how to review, approve, and manage member requests within their designated space.

Should you have any questions or encounter any issues while using the Collaborative Space, our dedicated CCOS Support Team is here to assist you. Please reach out to us at support@ccos.ctsa.io, and we'll be happy to help.

Please note that while CCOS serves as the platform for accessing the Collaborative Space, it is managed by NCATS. For any account-related issues or inquiries, please contact the NCATS Support Team at support@ctsa.io

What is a Working Group?

Working Groups consider and develop solutions around specific clinical and translational science issues. Working Groups propose, and with CCOS programmatic support, deliver CTSA Program Steering Committee-approved projects that fill translational gaps and/or further CTSA Program objectives in high priority areas in clinical and translational science. Projects may result in outputs like consensus papers, white papers, publications, and/or plans for workshops, symposiums, meetings, and/or conferences. Working Groups may pursue funding for activities stemming from those deliverables through the CTSA Program Collaborative and Innovative Acceleration Award (CCIAs) or supplements; development of applications must take place outside of supported CTSA Program Groups. 

How Do I Join a Working Group?

To join any of the active Working Groups, navigate to the Working Groups page. From here you will be able to view and click on any currently active Working Group to learn more about their mission, eligibility and requirements to join, upcoming meetings, and contact information for the Group Coordinator. 

• To join the CTSA Pharmacies and Compounding for Translation Research WG, email pharm.compounding@ccos.ctsa.io 
• To join the Integrating CTSA into the Virtual CTSA Visiting Scholar Program WG, email visitingscholar@ccos.ctsa.io
• To join the 21 CFR Part 11 Compliance for REDCap WG, email 21CFR_REDcap@ccos.ctsa.io
• To join the Advancing Dissemination and Implementation Sciences WG, email advancingDI@ccos.ctsa.io
• To join the Engaging Individuals with Disability in the Research Process WG, email engaging_individuals@ccos.ctsa.io
• To join the TL1 Visiting Scientists WG, email TL1visitingscientist@ccos.ctsa.io
• To join the Translational Science Competency-Based Assessment WG, email TS-CBA@ccos.ctsa.io

For more information about working groups, please review the CCOS Guidance for CTSA Program Groups

What Is an Enterprise Committee?

Enterprise Committees provide CTSA Program hub members opportunities to engage and connect across the national consortium. The Enterprise Committees advance the field of translational science through open discussions, project planning, and metrics assessment. CCOS coordinates the administrative framework for these strategic, project-driven groups.

Participation in Enterprise Committees also connects CTSA Program hubs to Working Groups that collaborate on white papers, workshops, and harmonization efforts across the CTSA Program and cultivate new multi-disciplinary, multisector collaborations.

Enterprise Committees are led by a Lead Team elected by the voting members of each respective Committee. Each can have up to two associated Working Groups, and each Working Group is charged with Enterprise Committee-related, short-term deliverables. Structure and governance information is available in the Guidance for CTSA Program Groups.

How Do I Join an Enterprise Committee?

To join any of the Consortium Groups, navigate to the Enterprise Committee page. From here you will be able to view and click on each Committee to learn more about their goals, upcoming meetings, current members, and contact information for the Group Coordinator and/or Lead Team Chair. 

• To join the Collaboration and Engagement EC, email collaborationengagement@ccos.ctsa.io
• To join the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility EC, email deia@ccos.ctsa.io
• To join the Informatics EC, email informatics@ccos.ctsa.io
• To join the Integration Across the Lifespan EC, email integreationacrosslifespan@ccos.ctsa.io
• To join the Workforce Development EC, email workforcedev@ccos.ctsa.io 

For more information about Enterprise Committees, please review the CCOS Guidance for CTSA Program Groups

What Is the Steering Committee?

The NCATS CTSA Program Steering Committee provides leadership for sharing of policies, practices, and resources and discussion of opportunities, impediments, joint agreement on broad issues impeding clinical research, and other topics. The Committee identifies and recommends best practices and policies to advance clinical and translational research as a discipline and facilitates collaboration and sharing among CTSA Program and non-CTSA Program institutions, and with partners in clinical and translational research, including industry, laboratories, and hospitals. For more information on Steering Committee roles and responsibilities, view the Steering Committee Roles & Responsibilities document, noting this is a living document subject to change.

What Are Steering Committee Pods?

A “Pod” is a subgroup representing five to six CTSA Program hubs led by a “Pod Lead,” a current member of the CTSA Steering Committee. Pod members include each CTSA hub’s primary PI and optionally the hub administrator. Pod groupings vary year-by-year to reflect Steering Committee membership rotation. Current Pod assignments can be found on the CTSA Steering Committee Pod Overview page.

Why Do We Have Pods?

The primary purpose of the Pod structure is to facilitate bidirectional communication between NCATS, the Steering Committee, and the local hubs. The Pod Lead communicates updates, activities, and important information from NCATS and the Steering Committee directly to their respective Pods. At the same time, Pod members have a dedicated forum to voice concerns or suggestions, ask questions, and relay local issues to NCATS and the Steering Committee via the Pod Lead.

When Do Pods Meet?

Pods connect at least once every two months via teleconference. The Pod Lead sets the cadence and agenda for each meeting. Topics range from CTSA Program updates to targeted discussions on topics of special interest to hub-level feedback, questions, and concerns.

How Do Pods Communicate?

Pods communicate meeting summaries, feedback, and questions to NCATS and the Steering Committee using the Pod Submission Form on the CTSA Steering Committee Pod Overview page. Following each Pod meeting, the Pod Lead submits meeting notes containing a summary of items reviewed and/or discussed during the meeting. The Pod Lead can also submit questions, share ideas, respond to requests for information, and provide other feedback via the Pod Submission Form. Detailed information on how to complete Pod submissions can be found in the Pod Submissions SOP.

Where Can I Get More Information About the Pods?

More information can be found on the CTSA Steering Committee Pod Overview page. Please also refer to Section 3.1, Program Pod Leadership, of the CTSA Program Steering Committee Roles & Responsibilities document for detailed information about the Pods.

For more information about the Steering Committee, please review the CCOS Guidance for CTSA Program Groups

What Is a Consortium Group?

Consortium Groups consist of individuals who possess specialized knowledge in a particular field within translational science. These Groups facilitate communication between each other, their respective CTSA Program institutions, and with NCATS to allow open, bidirectional conversations around strategies, approaches, and best practices for addressing challenges to advance translational science. 

How Do I Join a Consortium Group?

To join any of the Consortium Groups, navigate to the Consortium Groups page. From here you will be able to view and click on any Consortium Group to learn more about their mission and goals, upcoming meetings, and contact information for the Group Coordinator. 

• To join the CTSA KL2/KI2 PI Directors Group, email kl2directors@ccos.ctsa.io
• To join the CTSA TL1/T32 PI Directors Group, email tl1directors@ccos.ctsa.io 
• For information on how to join the listservs for the Communicators, Administrators, or Evaluators Groups, click here.

For more information about Consortium Groups, please review the CCOS Guidance for CTSA Program Groups

How Do I View Events on the Calendar?

To view all events on the CCOS Calendar, navigate to the Calendar page accessible from the Resources menu.

How Do I Find the Meeting Schedules for the Groups I Am a Member of?

Navigate to the CCOS Calendar from the Resources menu or the CTSA Groups and Meetings page to find meeting schedules and more information about upcoming meetings. You can also find information about upcoming meetings on Group pages. You will need to be logged in to your CCOS account to view specific Group meeting information.

How Do I Register for a Webinar?

To register for upcoming webinars, click here to navigate to the Zoom registration page. You will be able to add the series to your calendar from the confirmation email sent from Zoom. If you have any issues with registration, please email support@ccos.ctsa.io. 

Where Do I Find More Information About the CTSA Program Meetings?

To find more information about the CTSA Program Spring Group Meeting and CTSA Program Annual Meeting, select Program Meetings from the CTSA Groups and Meetings menu.

To share an upcoming event, meeting, or consortium news, please email communications@ccos.ctsa.io. 

To access content on the CTSA Groups and Meetings pages, you will need to be logged in to your CCOS account. For help with logging in or signing up, please visit the Getting Started Help Topic. To access content for any of the Discussion Forums, please visit the Community Help Topic.

If you are having issues accessing content on a webpage, first try refreshing the page in your browser or using a different browser. We recommend using Google Chrome or Firefox. If you are still experiencing issues, please email support@ccos.ctsa.io. A member of the CCOS Support Team will respond to your request within two business days.

To provide feedback on any content on the website, please email support@ccos.ctsa.io. 

How Do I Submit a Working Group Application?

To submit a Working Group application, navigate to the Working Groups Proposal Cycle landing page. Please note that the submissions for Working Group Proposals Cycle XI have ended. The next cycle is March 2024. 

What Is a Pod Submission?

A Pod Submission Form is one of the main channels for Pod communication with CTSA Program leadership. Following each Pod meeting, the Pod Lead submits meeting notes and any feedback or questions raised by Pod members.

Pod submissions are posted on the CCOS website and are reviewed by the Steering Committee monthly. When applicable, Pod submissions may be appended to reference meeting notes, webinars, or other communications relevant to the submitted feedback.

To learn more about Pods, Pod submissions, and Pod assignments, navigate to the Pod Overview page. 

The CCOS Guidance for CTSA Program Groups provides detailed information on the governance and operational guidelines for the CTSA Program Groups.

Protecting your privacy is important to us. This privacy policy is designed for the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS) Clinical and Translational Science Awards (CTSA) Coordination, Communication, and Operations Support (CCOS) Center. The privacy policy pertains to the public website hosted on https://ccos-cc.ctsa.io/ and private portal maintained by CCOS. This document will be amended as needed and can be accessed using the CCOS site footer. By using the CCOS public website and/or private portal, you acknowledge this privacy policy.

The following sections describe the process of how and why we might collect, store, and/or use your information when you use our websites. If you have any questions or concerns regarding this policy, please contact us at support@ccos.ctsa.io.

The CCOS Center is responsible for managing the CCOS public website, private portal, and data submitted using the forms hosted on these sites. We are committed to preventing unauthorized access, providing reliable data submission processes, and ensuring the appropriate use of information provided. We have implemented security measures to prevent unauthorized access, disclosure, loss, or alteration of the information provided. We use a variety of technologies to provide a secure environment and to protect our databases. We do not receive or share personal information with third parties. To help protect your privacy, we provide information in this policy about the online information practices of our websites and describe in more details the choices you can make to regulate your information.

The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) memo M-10-22, Guidance for Online Use of Web Measurement and Customization Technologies allows federal agencies to use session and persistent cookies. When you visit any website, its server may generate a piece of text known as a “cookie” to place on your computer. The cookie allows the server to “remember” specific information about your visit while you are connected. There are two types of cookies, temporary single session cookies and persistent multi-session cookies. Session cookies last only as long as your browser is open. Once you close your browser, the cookie disappears. Persistent cookies are stored on your computer for longer.

Session Cookies. We use session cookies for technical purposes, for example, to enable better navigation through our site. These cookies let our server know that you are continuing a visit to our site. The OMB memo 10-22 guidance defines use of session cookies as "Usage Tier 1—Single Session.” The policy says, “This tier encompasses any use of single session Web measurement and customization technologies.”

Persistent Cookies. We use persistent cookies to differentiate between new and returning CCOS site visitors. Persistent cookies remain on your computer between visits to our website until they expire. The OMB memo 10-22 guidance defines use of persistent cookies as "Usage Tier 2—Multi-session without Personally Identifiable Information (PII).” The policy says, “This tier encompasses any use of multi-session Web measurement and customization technologies when no PII is collected.”

When a user visits, uses, or navigates the CCOS public website, we may automatically store non-personally identifiable information depending on how you choose to interact with the website. This information does not reveal your specific identity but can include time, date, country, location, referring URL, pages visited, links clicked, language preferences, device name, browser type, IP address, domain name, and operating system used. The information regarding your website navigation is collected indirectly via the aforementioned session and performance cookies. This information can be further categorized into essential cookies for operation of the website and performance cookies for analytics purposes. CCOS uses the performance cookies collected to measure the number of visitors to our site and to help make our site more useful to visitors. CCOS collects cookies automatically and continuously from visitors who read, browse, and/or download information from this site by using Google Analytics. CCOS staff and contractors conduct analyses and report on the aggregated data from Google Analytics. The reports are only available to the website’s managers and other designated staff who require this information to perform their duties. CCOS retains the data from Google Analytics for as long as it is needed to support the CCOS mission. CCOS never collects PII or information for commercial marketing or any purpose unrelated to the CCOS Center’s mission and goals.

When accessing the public website for the first time, you can choose to accept or decline to provide performance cookies about your site navigation. If you choose to decline participation in performance analytics, only the essential information necessary to deliver the website’s content and services will remain. Your cookie preferences can be updated at any time by using the footer menu of the website.

If you do not wish to have session or persistent cookies placed on your computer, you can disable them altogether by using your browser’s settings. If you opt out of all cookies, you will still have access to all CCOS site information and resources. Note, by following the instructions to opt-out of cookies setup by your browser, you will disable cookies from all sources, not just those from our website.

How Personal Information is Protected by CCOS

We collect personal information from you when you submit an online form, signup for newsletters or groups, or submit a portal access account request. Registering for an account requires you to create an online profile containing information about your institution, name, email address, and other optional fields such as phone number, and title. The information provided to us is used to facilitate account creation with user account permissions after authentication. Additional uses to the information provided include:

• To send CTSA program communication to you such as newsletters or announcements.
• To deliver services within the portal to you such as group messages or content. 
• To respond to user inquiries or support requests.
• To protect private information within the portal from unauthorized access.
• To keep an audit trail of information submitted, edited, or deleted.

CCOS will maintain the information you provide only as long as needed to fulfill its mission. As such, CCOS will safeguard the information you provide in accordance with the Privacy Act of 1974, as amended (5 U.S.C. Section 552a). CCOS will retain collected data long enough to achieve the specified objective for which data were collected or for the duration of the Center unless otherwise specified by the user. We occasionally hire other companies and/or use external technologies to provide additional services such as answering customer questions, processing help desk tickets, and providing support. We will only provide those companies and/or technologies the information they need to deliver the service. When users send email messages containing personal information to the CCOS Support email, support@ccos.ctsa.io, CCOS responds to and files the messages. Only designated staff and contractors requiring access to the emails to respond may view or answer them. Your information will not be disclosed to third parties for any other purpose without your consent. However, CCOS may disclose your personal information without your consent if required to do so by law or in some exceptional cases such as:

• To protect and/or defend an individual at harm.
• To investigate fraud detection.
• To conform or comply with legal processes.
• To act in urgent circumstances to protect the personal safety of individuals, users, products or services, or members of the public.

User account creations or deletions will be processed by support@ccos.ctsa.io. You may unsubscribe from our newsletters, emails, and other correspondence by contacting us or emailing us at support@ccos.ctsa.io. User account information will not be kept after termination of the user’s account. We do not knowingly solicit or store data from minors under 18 years of age. By using our services, you acknowledge that you are at least 18 years old. Any account created by a minor will be deactivated and promptly deleted from our records.

This website has links contained which direct users to third-party sites such as National Institutes of Health (NIH) sites, federal agency sites, and private organization sites. The links provided within the website are for user convenience and informational purposes only. The CCOS Center is not responsible for the content, accuracy of, or cookies set by the third-party sites linked within the website. The information provided within the links is not an endorsement by NCATS, or the CTSA Program and does not represent the views and/or opinions of the CCOS Center. You may wish to review the privacy policies and cookie preferences in use on the third-party sites before engaging with them.