Letter from the Co-Directors: Fall 2023
Dear UR CTSI community,
As we enter the final quarter of 2023, we wanted to take this opportunity to share our vision for the months ahead.
Co-Directors Wilson and Zand
The grant renewal effort remains UR CTSI’s top priority. We are primarily funded by the National Institutes of Health Clinical and Translational Science Awards Program, which supports institutes that improve the speed and quality of research processes to deliver health interventions for individuals and communities across the US. We have successfully renewed three times for a total of 19 continuous years of funding—and we are confident our fourth round will be a success, too.
Our grant application is due in May of 2024—which is, in grant terms, right around the corner. We aim to have our application in early and, until then, you can expect to hear us talking up this all-hands-on-deck effort. Many of our faculty and staff are hard at work drafting copy, sharing data, and organizing for our application. As co-principal investigators on the project, we review, edit, and incorporate these submissions, and have thus developed a greater understanding of our myriad accomplishments over the past five years. From distributing grants that build careers, to supporting clinical research, to managing information and engaging with our community—you have our sincere thanks for your hard work as members of our institute.
The next deadline for grant materials is Friday, November 17, which marks the completion of the application’s second full draft.
In the midst of this critical process, the institute has undergone a significant change in leadership. Nancy “Nana” Bennett, MD, MS, stepped down as co-director after serving in the position since 2014. She has been with UR CTSI going all the way back to its founding in 2006. Karen Wilson, MD, MPH has since taken on the title of co-director, having hit the ground running. We would like to thank the staff, faculty, and supporters of UR CTSI who have helped her make a successful transition into this role these last few months. We are looking forward to celebrating Nana’s career at an upcoming event. Details to follow.
The UNYTE Virtual Scientific Session – Advancing Translational Science in Rural Health Research on November 1 will bring together translational science researchers from across the state to share strategies to help rural populations overcome barriers to participation in health research. On November 13, we will host our flagship in-person event, Translational Research Day. Please register here. This event is a celebration of the innovative research developed with UR CTSI support. The keynote address will be delivered by Anthony Pisani, PhD, the first recipient of the Robert G. Holloway CTSI KL2 Alumni Lectureship. We encourage you to register for and attend both events.
With so much happening and on the horizon, it is important to take the time to acknowledge the hard work of this amazing group of professionals. Please accept our sincere gratitude and appreciation for your presence on our team.
Sincerely,
Co-Directors Karen Wilson, MD, MPH and Martin Zand, MD, PhD
Michael Hazard | 10/12/2023
