University of Minnesota Clinical and Translational Science Institute (UMN CTSI)

Abstract. Clinical and translational science (CTS) is at the crossroads of major technology advances requiring academia-community partnerships anchored on trust for effective & rapid deployment of best practices. UMN CTSA Hub will build on proven commitments to accelerate impactful CTS. Aim 1 will provide novel infrastructure to reduce research barriers and accelerate translation to practice via a new Office of Clinical Research and Community Affairs to augment CTSI’s capacity to respond to and facilitate robust and sustainable community relationships transcending single investigator projects. Aim 2 will deliver high quality and efficient research services and resources via Clinical Research Support Center (85 staff) that will lessen trial barriers and support all aspects of study design, biostatistics, bioinformatics, regulatory compliance, contracts and more. Accelerating diversity, equity and inclusion progress will facilitate connectivity to our diverse population. A learning health system (LHS) and continuous quality improvement program will expedite implementation of novel enhancements. Aim 3 will cultivate and train a strong, diverse CTS workforce with new tools and programs; develop and test novel trial processes and participant satisfaction; then disseminate and implement learnings locally and nationally. Tailored enhancements will personalize CTS training for community, academic and workforce professionals, with attention to diversity, informed consent for non- English speakers, an investigator primer, research career development series and more. CTSI’s Rural Health Program offers an Equity Postdoctoral Fellowship and year-long community leader training in health policy & leadership. Cultural competency training will facilitate engagement with our multicultural community. Trained community health workers (CHWs) will advance research dissemination into practice and community. Aim 4 will foster leadership, team science and data sharing to support collaborations including leadership programs, professional coaching, vertically integrated retreats, team function seminars, Northern Leadership for Innovative Team Science program adapted for junior faculty and incentives to gain CTSI leadership skills. Health Informatics will support advanced data management, analytic infrastructures plus electronic health record & LHS information systems. Aim 5 strives for health equity and against structural racism by deploying an Equity Framework and antiracist research practices to train CHWs and Hub Partners for broad community input and decision-making. We will build a national population level geo-database of quantifiable measures of cultural and economic variables using a novel Multidimentional Measures of Systemic Racism Portal to link health and clinical data, define national impact of structural racism on study enrollment and data collection with a validation project on early childhood cognitive function after prenatal methamphetamine exposure. Impact. With a novel infrastructure, a diverse next generation of leaders and a well-trained diverse workforce, our Hub and regional community will co-develop and implement CTS advancements to improve health.