The Appalachian Translational Research Network (ATRN) is a 501(c)3 organization of nine academic and health care institutional partners committed to addressing the significant health challenges facing the Appalachian Region.
ATRN Institutional Partners
The ATRN seeks to foster engagement and outreach to communities in the Appalachian region, enhancing research collaborations focused on improving the health outcomes and access to health care prioritized by the communities of Appalachia.
As an ATRN institutional partner, The Ohio State University provides a limited number of complimentary memberships to research faculty and staff at Ohio State and Nationwide Children’s Hospital, as well as Ohio State CTSI community partners.
ATRN Membership benefits for Ohio State community partners:
Facilitation of researchers and community collaborations
Facilitation with ATRN partners across a six state Appalachian region
Partnership building
Alerting members of research opportunities (funding and collaboration)
Disseminating news of research
Annual ATRN Health Summit registration discount
Receiving the ATRN Newsletter – informing about the many activities and the people involved in research
Contact Us
Please reach out to Beverly Stringer for access to ATRN membership.
The Academy of Community Reviewers (ACR) provides training for patients and community members to review scientific research proposals, provide meaningful perspectives and contribute towards grant decision-making.
The CTSI and our pediatric partner, Nationwide Children’s Hospital, value the opinions and input of our patients and community members in the research that we fund. The ACR was developed to foster bi‐directional alliances and dialogue between academic researchers and community stakeholders. This relationship ensures that research is not only relevant and applicable to the affected community but also aligns with their priorities. The perspective and lived experience of patients and community members offer unique, invaluable insights that can accelerate the process of translation of basic science discoveries to health interventions that are more reliable, relevant and cost-effective.
The ACR is a two-part workshop dedicated to educating and empowering patients and community members to actively engage in every phase of the translational process.
Expanding upon the curriculum of the Community Scientists Academy, participants are trained to review and score scientific research proposals based on NIH review criteria, provide meaningful perspectives and contribute toward grant decision-making.
Participants are also trained to engage with academic researchers as stakeholder advisors.
Contact us
For more information contact Program Manager, Jasmine Neal, MPH.
The Community Scientist Academy (CSA) is a program designed to increase community stakeholders’ knowledge of the translational research process related to improving health outcomes and increasing participation in the research process.
The CSA program consists of five weekly (or sometimes bi-weekly) sessions, each designed to cover various stages of the translational research process.
Each session will identify and discuss opportunities for stakeholders to engage with research teams to improve the strength and relevancy of research projects conducted in their community.
Each session also includes an opportunity to meet, discuss and ask questions about the content covered with an experienced researcher.
After completing the CSA program, attendees are given the opportunity to connect with additional training programs (such as the CTSI’s Academy of Community Reviewers) and opportunities to engage with research teams and projects.
Contact us
For more information contact Community Engagement Team Manager, Jeff Grever.
Providing connections, consultations and training opportunities to facilitate community-centered research.
Community Engagement (CE) improves the health of communities across the state of Ohio by training, connecting and guiding research teams and community stakeholders to work in collaboration to conduct truly engaged research projects.
Advancing today’s discoveries to improve health for all.
The Ohio State University Clinical and Translational Science Institute (CTSI) is a collaboration between The Ohio State University, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center and Nationwide Children's Hospital to accelerate the translation of research discoveries into improved health care by reducing operational, administrative and scientific barriers; supporting scientists, investigators and clinical research professionals; and creating interdisciplinary collaborations across the translational science spectrum. The CTSI provides financial, organizational and educational support to researchers, as well as opportunities for community members to participate in valuable research.
The Ohio State CTSI is unique as one of the few CTSA hubs with Colleges of Medicine, Dentistry, Nursing, Pharmacy, Public Health, Optometry, Social Work and Veterinary Medicine on a single campus with a stand-alone pediatric hospital partner. These features set it apart from others by having great disciplinary diversity and resources to advance health through the lifespan.
The Ohio State University Clinical and Translational Science Institute aims to be a national leader and model CTSA hub in advancing impactful clinical and translational research at The Ohio State University and Nationwide Children’s Hospital by:
Cultivating and supporting clinical and translational research
Training, developing and supporting clinical and translational scientists and clinical research professionals
Enabling interdisciplinary collaboration that leverages depth and breadth of expertise
Growing a culture of translation and innovation
Enriching community partnerships and engagement in research opportunities
Developing and implementing tools and solutions to support the research process
Join Today! CTSI membership can make an impact on your research and career.
Improving Health For All
Improving Health For All
The Clinical and Translational Science Institute (CTSI) is committed to a culture of excellence and recognizes the importance of involvement and engagement of all communities. This includes those that have been historically under-served and under-represented in biomedical research (including rural and minority populations) and their engagement is fundamental to optimizing health for all.
We respect and affirm the inherent value of every person as we strive for a scientific workforce directed toward the goal of better health for all. Our aim is that every study, educational and training program and resource supported by the CTSI is available to all in its development, implementation and dissemination. We remain diligent and intentional in our unified efforts to ensure everyone has a fair and just opportunity to attain their highest level of health.
The CTSI is committed to these efforts in four areas: Leadership and Culture, Assessment and Evaluation, Research for All and Workforce Development.
The CTSI is where advancing today’s discoveries to improve health for all through engagement of all communities as a core value.
In line with our commitment, the CTSI leadership will:
Reflect our community and foster a workplace that respects and affirms the value of every person.
Be role models of cultural humility and facilitate learning, discussion and awareness of the impact of race, ethnicity, gender, ability and religion, on the culture of our workplace.
Create a fully representative space for the conduct of clinical and translational research.
Uphold these accompanying values and ethical considerations as a shared responsibility of all personnel within the CTSI.
Identify core learning experiences and foundational training modules that are recommended for all CTSI-supported faculty and staff to address cultural humility and responsiveness.
To date we have taken the following actions:
Developed a health for all lens that will guide all CTSI programs and initiatives.
Coordinated working groups to provide a framework to update the CTSI website for transparency.
Compiled a list of courses for training.
Future actions:
Ensure that CTSI personnel become stewards in advancing today’s discoveries to improve health for all through inclusion and engagement of all communities and contribute to a culture of belonging for all.
Provide quarterly updates of working group progress
The CTSI promotes data-driven and empirically supported approaches.
In efforts to understand the reach of the work of the CTSI, leadership will:
Identify a set of common demographic data elements to be collected by all programs.
Determine a method for collecting the identified data elements.
Pilot test and refine the collection process in two-to-three program areas.
Deploy the data collection tool throughout all CTSI programs.
Draft a report template and develop a timeline for publishing reports related to improving health for all.
Issue reports that will be used to evaluate strengths and challenges within programs to achieving the goal of advancing today’s discoveries to improve health for all through inclusion and engagement of all communities and contributing to a culture of belonging for all.
To date we have taken the following actions:
Drafted an initial set of data variables for collection that are under review and discussion. Aligning these variables with those collected by the Wexner Medical Center, The Ohio State University and the National Institutes of Health.
Discussing platforms for data collection so that the process meets the needs across programs.
Future actions:
Build the data collection infrastructure with pilot testing in a few CTSI programs.
Revision of the data collection instrument, with full roll out for all CTSI programs.
Data collection across all programs.
Develop a template for reporting health for all data collected to CTSI leadership.
Issue annual reports that will be used to evaluate strengths and challenges to the CTSI's better health for all goals.
The CTSI will evaluate its programs and provide targeted support for research to reduce health disparities.
In line with our commitment of better health for all, the CTSI Programs and Services will:
Engage community members in the research process through training and collaboration.
Provide services that support investigators in developing research studies to improve health for all
Dedicate funding to support clinical translational research that aims to improve health for all.
To date we have taken the following actions:
Implemented a Community Scientist Academy (CSA) program to introduce community members to the basics of research.
Implemented a community reviewer program, called The Academy of Community Reviewers (ACR), to train community members to review grant proposals and engage research teams as collaborators.
Compile a list of community trainees for future collaboration in research activities.
Provide investigators recruitment and community engagement consultation to aid in recruiting under-represented eligible study participants and community partners.
Created the Executive Committee on Lifespan Research and provided over 60 consultations to help researchers engage under-represented populations.
Future actions:
Expand the accessibility of the Community Scientist Academy and Academy of Community Reviewers programs to more under-represented populations by offering online program engagement.
Develop toolkits to aid investigators in recruiting study participants of under-represented populations reflective of disease burden.
Require clinical investigators applying for CTSI funding to provide strategies for recruiting under-represented populations that are representative of disease burden.
Require applicants for all CTSI funding mechanisms to describe the potential impact of the proposed or initiated research on health disparities in under-represented populations.
Design and implement an innovative approach to ethics review of data science projects to evaluate improvements and model fairness and mitigation of bias in data models which alleviates health disparities.
The CTSI supports the development of a culturally responsive and accessible scientific community across the translational research workforce.
The CTSI workforce development team identifies issues that have widened health disparities from those who are under-served and under-represented. Our hope is that by providing representation within the Clinical and Translational Research (CTR)/Clinical and Translational Science (CTS) workforce, that we can help diminish this health disparity gap within our communities.
The CTSI Workforce Development Team will:
Foster a strong workplace environment within the CTSI leadership, faculty and staff by recruiting and retaining individuals from under-represented backgrounds in its workforce.
Provide tools and methods to CTR/CTS teams to support the broader research community.
Provide educational opportunities to those who are under-served and under-represented to increase their engagement and knowledge in CTR/CTS and increase their interest in being an active CTR/CTS workforce members.
To date we have taken the following actions:
Influenced and adopted the equitable mission statement developed by the CTSI Leadership Group.
Optimized language for Ohio State Clinical Research job descriptions.
Established and provide bi-annual Clinical Research Career webinars for active and aspiring clinical research professionals.
Contribute to workforce development improvements through multi-hub collaboration, research and dissemination.
Incorporate promotional and recruitment materials that reflect the equal opportunity we seek.
Launched a CRP Newsletter which incorporates equitable opportunities and connections.
Future Actions:
Identify mentorship and sponsorship opportunities for individuals to progress into leadership positions by partnering with existing leadership.
Connect CTSI members with mentoring opportunities associated with initiatives across Ohio State’s campus that aim to increase inclusion in the biomedical research pipeline of those from backgrounds that have typically been under-represented in biomedical research (e.g. rural and minority students).
Promote increasing the Clinical Research Professional (CRP) workforce through education, training, partnerships and innovation.
Identify measurable outcomes to assess our workforce development impact.
Build strong collaborations with the other CTSI areas (Leadership and Culture, Research and Assessment and Evaluation) to support their goals and the mission.
Develop educational materials for the Academy of Community Researchers (ACR) and other public-facing training materials in Scarlet Canvas that enhance development of community members and CRPs.
We would like to acknowledge the land that The Ohio State University occupies is the ancestral and contemporary territory of the Shawnee, Potawatomi, Delaware, Miami, Peoria, Seneca, Wyandotte, Ojibwe and Cherokee peoples.
Specifically, the university resides on land ceded in the 1795 Treaty of Greeneville and the forced removal of tribes through the Indian Removal Act of 1830. As a land grant institution, we want to honor the resiliency of these tribal nations and recognize the historical contexts that has and continues to affect the Indigenous peoples of this land.
What is a Land Acknowledgement and Its Purpose?
A land acknowledgement recognizes and respects the relationship that exists between Indigenous peoples and their ancestral and contemporary territories. Additionally, a land acknowledgement provides opportunity to explore the current impact of colonization and systemic oppression on Indigenous peoples. Land acknowledgements do not exist in past tense or a historical context as colonialism is a current ongoing process.
While Land Acknowledgements are vital in creating visibility, for these statements to have impact they must include action and a dedication to supporting, uplifting and empowering all Indigenous peoples. We ask that you take the time to learn more about the histories and cultures of Native American and Indigenous peoples. By doing so you participate in the social change that will support a strong sense of belonging and inclusion for all Buckeyes.
Data and AI
Data and AI
Data and informatics tools available to researchers at The Ohio State University and Nationwide Children’s Hospital including data sets, informatics and data integration. These tools enable researchers to enhance efficiency, maintain accuracy and collaborate effectively throughout their projects.
Need Data Support? Contact the Data Navigator.
The Ohio State University offers numerous data sources for researchers but effectively navigating these resources can be challenging. To assist faculty and staff in this process, our Data Navigator acts as the first point of contact. The Data Navigator provides a high-level explanation of regulatory and institutional processes regarding these databases, identifies potential collaborators and addresses initial data-related questions. The navigator helps clarify requests, coordinates efforts and links investigators with domain experts for different data sources.
Strengthening relations within the translational community at Ohio State, Nationwide Children's Hospital and other CTSA institutions and research networks.
Data and informatics tools are available to researchers at The Ohio State University and Nationwide Children’s Hospital including data sets, informatics and data integration.
Research designed to improve health care and the organizations that practice it by fostering awareness, adoption, and implementation of solutions that are backed by scientific evidence.
Ensure the rights and well-being of subjects are protected, data is accurate, complete, reliable and that the trial is conducted in compliance with the protocol, ICH-GCP and applicable regulatory requirements.
Cite the Grant
Citing the CTSA grant
Publications supported by The Ohio State University Clinical and Translational Science Institute (CTSI) must cite the Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA) grant number (UM1TR004548) and by law, be submitted to PubMed Central. For instructions, review the NIH Public Access Policy on the CTSI website.
A land acknowledgement recognizes and respects the relationship that exists between Indigenous peoples and their ancestral and contemporary territories. Additionally, a land acknowledgement provides opportunity to explore the current impact of colonization and systemic oppression on Indigenous peoples. Land acknowledgements do not exist in past tense or a historical context as colonialism is a current ongoing process. 
