The Great Plains IDeA Clinical and Translational Research Network has received more than $25 million from the National Institutes of Health for its next five years of work, allowing an expanded focus on multisite translational science, health system integration, and regional and national research partnerships.
The award begins the third five-year funding cycle of the Great Plains program, transitioning it from a U54 cooperative agreement to a P50 award, formally establishing it as an NIH-designated Clinical and Translational Research Network (CTR-N). Although participating institutions have worked together as a regional network for nearly a decade, the CTR-N designation is new and brings greater emphasis on coordinated, multisite clinical and translational research.
Headquartered at UNMC, the network also includes the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, University of Nebraska at Omaha, University of Nebraska at Kearney, Creighton University, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Children’s Nebraska, VA Nebraska-Western Iowa Health Care System and, as a new partner in this grant cycle, Nebraska Medicine.
“This network connects academic research with clinical delivery systems, strengthening opportunities for multisite research, learning health and learning research systems, and translation of discoveries into patient care,” said Matthew Rizzo, MD, director of the Great Plains IDeA-CTR-N.
While the first two funding cycles emphasized research infrastructure, investigator development and mentoring, this latest grant cycle will place greater emphasis on cross-institutional scientific teams, multisite projects and clinical studies, shared research resources, workforce development and stronger connections with regional and national research networks.
The Great Plains IDeA-CTR-N also will expand collaborations with practice-based research networks, clinical and translational science award programs and other national research initiatives, creating greater opportunities for investigators and partner institutions to participate in research at regional and national scale.
The award comes as the network approaches its 10th anniversary. On Nov. 9, investigators, health system leaders, community partners, NIH representatives and leaders from research networks across the country will gather in Omaha for the 10th anniversary meeting, “From Regional Strength to National Impact: Making Research Networks Work for Translational Science.”