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Children's National and George Washington University Award more than $1 Million in Grants

January 28, 2011

Washington, DC– The Clinical and Translational Science Institute at Children’s National (CTSI-CN), a partnership of Children’s National Medical Center and The George Washington University, has awarded more than $1 million in grants for 15 Pilot Studies projects, four Novel Clinical and Translational Methodologies projects, and two Mentored Career Development programs. These grants are given to promising young and junior researchers. This support is one way the CTSI-CN cultivates new talent and accelerates projects that show promise for future and in-depth investigations that have the potential to improve human health.

These grants are made possible with funding from the prestigious Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA) from the National Center for Research Resources of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and Children’s National Medical Center. In July 2010, the CTSI-CN secured a CTSA grant of $20 million over five years. With the July grant, CTSI-CN joined the nationally renowned CTSA consortium, composed of nationally recognized research institutions that work to transform the local, regional, and national environment to increase the efficiency and speed of clinical and translational research across the country.

Many other CTSA member institutions engage in pediatric research, but the Children’s National/George Washington University collaboration is the first in the history of the award to focus specifically on how scientific breakthroughs from the laboratory bench can be brought more quickly and efficiently to the bedsides of young patients locally and around the world.

“The future health of this nation and of its families is dependent on what happens with today's children,” said Jill Joseph, MD, PhD, principal investigator of the CTSI-CN and Director of Center for Clinical and Community Research. “Protecting them from disease, promoting their health, and treating their illnesses are essential investments in our collective well being. We are pleased to support junior colleagues whose promising work we believe will advance our ability to prevent, understand, diagnose, and treat pediatric illness”

"These programs provide an unprecedented opportunity to encourage creative and innovative collaborations, launch new and innovative projects that will catalyze change between disciplines,” said Peter Hotez, MD, PhD, co-principal investigator of the CTSA, Distinguished Research Professor Walter G. Ross Professor and Chair and President of the Sabin Vaccine Institute. “These also will train a new cadre of physicians, scientists and health professionals at Children's National Medical Center and the George Washington University."

About the Pilot Studies Program
The goal of the Pilot Program Studies component of CTSI-CN is to invest in well-conceived pilot studies which can advance multidisciplinary clinical and translational research, engage investigators, and stimulate collaborations. Pilot studies also provide the crucial preliminary data necessary for subsequent robust external grant applications.
About Novel Clinical and Translational Methodologies (NCTM)
The NCTM grants support clinical and translational research through development and proof of principle of new technologies that are required by investigators, whether in the laboratory, in the clinic, or in the community.
About Mentored Research Career Development Program (KL2)
The KL2 Mentored Career Development Program at CTSI-CN is a three-year research program that guides young and junior researchers toward an independent clinical research career. The KL2 program provides protected time and other resources to enable these scholars to accomplish a structured and practical research experience.

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Media contacts at Children’s National: Paula Darte or Emily Dammeyer – 202-476-4500
Media contact at George Washington University: Anne Banner – 202-994-2261.

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About Children’s National Medical Center
Children’s National Medical Center in Washington, DC, has been serving the nation’s children since 1870. Home to Children’s Research Institute and the Sheikh Zayed Institute for Pediatric Surgical Innovation, Children’s National is consistently ranked among the top pediatric hospitals by U.S.News & World Report and the Leapfrog Group. With 303 beds, more than 1,330 nurses, 550 physicians, and seven regional outpatient centers, Children’s National is the only exclusive provider of pediatric care in the Washington metropolitan area. Children’s National has been recognized by the American Nurses Credentialing Center as a Magnet® designated hospital, the highest level of recognition for nursing excellence that a medical center can achieve. For more information, visit www.ChildrensNational.org, receive the latest news from the Children's National press room, or follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

About The George Washington University Medical Center
George Washington University Medical Center is an internationally recognized interdisciplinary academic health center that has consistently provided high-quality medical care in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area since 1824. The Medical Center comprises the School of Medicine and Health Sciences, the 11th oldest medical school in the country; the School of Public Health and Health Services, the only such school in the nation’s capital; GW School of Nursing; GW Hospital, and The GW Medical Faculty Associates. For more information on GWUMC, visit www.gwumc.edu.

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