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Division of Program Coordination, Planning, and Strategic Initiatives (DPCPSI) National Institutes of Health  •  U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

Regional Translational Research Centers

The Regional Translational Research Centers (RTRCs) Initiative supports the establishment of collaborative, multi-institution centers to increase interaction between basic and clinical scientists. The goal of this interaction: to accelerate translational development of new drugs, biomarkers, and treatment strategies from the laboratory bench into clinical testing.

RTRCs also will provide essential core infrastructure and support, including specialized cores that provide expertise in biostatistics, clinical pharmacology, pharmacogenetics, and genetics. These specialized centers—core RTRCs, or C-RTRCs—may offer this support on a regional or a national level. A third model—expanded RTRCs (E-RTRCs)—combines the RTRC and C-RTRC models.

RTRC Planning Grants

On October 1, 2004, the RTRC Implementation Group prepared and released a planning grant RFA, based on feedback from hundreds of translational research stakeholders (see Planning Meeting). By the January 19, 2005 deadline, NIH received 55 planning grant applications; awards will be made in summer 2005. Regardless of selection for an award, all interested parties are encouraged to submit new or revised applications to future planning grant RFAs.

The Implementation Group envisions at least one more round of planning grant RFAs. Please check this Web site frequently for release updates.

Regional Translational Research Center Planning Grant (RM RFA-05-008; closed 1-19-05)

RTRC Grants

The RTRC Implementation Group is drafting an RFA that will fund successful applications to develop RTRCs, C-RTRCs, and E-RTRCs. The RFA is targeted for release in October 2005.

Past RTRC Events

  • November 10, 2004 Videoconference: An RTRC panel hosted this event to address questions from potential applicants for planning grants. This captioned event offers detailed responses to queries received live and electronically on the RTRC Planning Grant RFA and possible RTRC models.
  • July 16, 2004 National Planning Meeting: The RTRC Implementation Group hosted a planning meeting in Bethesda, MD, to garner feedback on translational research, with a particular focus on the RTRC Initiative. The meeting drew nearly 60 external experts from across the Nation and 30 NIH representatives; participants offered a range of backgrounds and diverse perspectives on translational research. Feedback proved invaluable to the RTRC Working Group in writing the RFA for RTRC Planning Grants.

  • June 1, 2004 Report Release: As part of its early work on the RTRC Initiative, the RTRC Implementation Group crafted an Interim Report outlining the strategy for implementing RTRCs. The report notes that centers are intended to provide NIH-funded investigators with the resources needed for state-of-the art, safe, and cost-effective translational research

Comments or queries on the RTRC Initiative and its activities? Please write to nihrtrccomments@mail.nih.gov.

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This page last reviewed: March 14, 2008