PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT The mission of the Northwestern University Clinical and Translational Sciences (NUCATS) Institute is “speeding transformative research discoveries to patients and the population.” The NUCATS Institute, founded in 2007, serves as the hub for clinical and translational research across Northwestern University, its renowned clinical partners (Northwestern Memorial HealthCare, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, and the Rehabilitation Institution of Chicago), community and stakeholder organizations, patients, and industry. In this funding period, NUCATS will continue to support the entire spectrum of translation – from basic discovery through clinical trials to population health research – regardless of disease area. We will build upon our past accomplishments and current strengths to undertake new initiatives that address challenges and opportunities in clinical and translational science. We will pursue the following Global Aims, which are aligned with NCATS' goals for the CTSA program: 1) We will further integrate research into clinical care systems and processes, with the goal that every clinical encounter becomes an opportunity for research and learning to improve human health; 2) We will innovate, test, and disseminate new education and training initiatives to equip the translational workforce and improve quality and efficiency of translational research; 3) We will build upon our expertise in the science of team science and create practical tools that catalyze and empower high-functioning, stakeholder- engaged, multi-disciplinary teams; and 4) We will take an experimental approach to improve the methods and processes of translational research and create a culture of continuous improvement that can be disseminated across the CTSA consortium. Continued CTSA funding will be a critical element, speeding the design, demonstration, and dissemination of innovative and generalizable solutions for translational science and advancing our commitment to improved human health.

Project Narrative The mission of the Northwestern University Clinical and Translational Sciences (NUCATS) Institute is “speeding transformative research discoveries to patients and the population.” The NUCATS Institute serves as the hub for clinical and translational research across Northwestern University and its clinical partners, Northwestern Memorial HealthCare, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, and the Rehabilitation Institution of Chicago. In this funding period, NUCATS will build on its unique strengths to integrate research into all aspects of clinical care, train and equip the translational workforce, build and support multi-disciplinary teams that include community stakeholders, and the evaluation and continuous improvement of methods and processes to enhance clinical and translational research.