Summary The incidence of chronic diseases such as metabolic disease, cardiovascular disease, cancer, neurodegenerative disease remain persistently high in South Carolina and are disproportionally greater in the central region of the state-called the Midlands. The overarching goal of this Center for Translational Research development (CTR-D) program is to address this unmet need by building a sustainable foundation of clinical and translational research capacity at the University of South Carolina (USC) which is geographically positioned in the middle of the state (Midlands), namely the Center for Clinical and Translational Research at USC- CLINTRUSC. We will leverage existing clinical/translational research expertise within the USC School of Medicine, nationally recognized health science research within the USC School of Public Health, the School of Pharmacy, College of Nursing and the School of Social Work, which will allow us to tap into an important research work force that extends beyond the usual confines of academic medicine-based clinical trial infrastructure. This also will allow us to engage meaningfully with high-risk communities that may be inaccessible or resistant to more conventional approaches. Moreover, we will engage our health systems partners; Prisma Health (the largest health care provider in the state) and the Veterans Administration (VA) Health System to develop a centralized, cohesive approach to perform clinical and translational research throughout the Midlands of South Carolina. The CLINTRUSC program will develop the 5 essential cores required for a CTR-D which will result for the first time at USC, a cohesive infrastructure to quickly deploy clinical/translational research projects within the Midlands with a particular focus on engaging vulnerable patient populations (underserved, veterans).

OVERALL: PROJECT NARRATIVE The Center for Clinical & Translational Research at the University of South Carolina (CLINTRUSC) draws on the many strengths that exist in the Schools and Colleges of the University of South Carolina (USC) to create a Clinical & Translational Research Center that will address a long-standing deficiency in meaningful disparities- focused, clinic-based research. The CLINTRUSC will provide, for the first time at USC, a cohesive infrastructure to quickly deploy clinical/translational research projects within the Midlands regions of South Carolina to 1) Develop a Cohesive Clinical and Translational Research Hub at USC and in the Midlands and 2) Integrate and Coordinate this Hub with Existing Health Systems and Partners. Using existing infrastructure and creating new Advisory Boards, Committees, and Core resources to support Pilot and Developmental Projects and the professional development of individuals dedicated to addressing health disparities CLINTRUSC will work in the spirit of community-based participatory research (CBPR) to advance public health and improve clinical outcomes in a region badly in need of this resource.