CCTS Quick Facts

The University of Kentucky Center for Clinical and Translational Science (CCTS) unites clinicians, researchers, and communities to accelerate the translation of basic science discoveries to tangible improvements in health, with particular focus on Appalachia. 

Founded in 2006, we've received two Clinical and Translational Science Awards from the National Center for Advancing Translational Science at the National Institutes of Health. 


National and Regional Partnerships

The UK CCTS collaborates with CTSA institutions, academic medical centers, regional hospitals, and community partnership across the country and through Appalachia, including serving as a founding member of the Appalachian Translational Research Network (ATRN). 

In Central Appalachia, we partner with academic medical centers in the ATRN as well as with hospital systems, the UK Markey Cancer Research Network, and numerous community organizations to address health disparities and promote wellbeing. 

2020 National Collaborations Map
Map of CCTS Partners in Appalachia

 

Impactful Funding & Awards

20:1

ROI for Pilot Funding Program 

14.3:1 ROI

on Pilot Grants Related to Substance Use Disorder

17.7:1 ROI

on Pilot Grants from the Appalachian Translational Research Network

The UK CCTS Pilot Funding Program stimulates innovative science to accelerate improvements in health. Our funding prioritizes multidisciplinary research and projects that focus on health disparities, particularly in Appalachia.

Since our first CTSA funding in 2011, we have funded 300 pilot awards. 


 

Engaging with Our Communities

41 Participants

of the Community Leadership Institute of Kentucky

28

Appalachian Counties Impacted by the Community Leadership Institute of Kentucky

22:1

ROI on Appalachian Translational Research Network Grants

The CCTS Community Engagement and Enrichment Core empowers local solutions for health and brings research from campus to meet people where they are. We support community leaders as well as UK researchers with grants, training, and research services. 

 

Community Seed Grant Recipient Uses Personal Health Journey to Motivate Others in Diabetes Prevention
Mary Beth Castle leads a Fall into Fitness diabetes education and prevention event in Johnson County, Ky.

After retiring as a teacher and learning she was pre-diabetic at age 57, Mary Beth Castle lost 81 pounds and began a new career as a Community Health Educator in Johnson County, Kentucky. A Community Seed Grant from the CCTS allowed her to continue and grow the "Fall into Fitness" diabetes education and prevention outreach events, where participants get their A1C levels checked and take a self-paced walk together. Anyone who is pre-diabetic gets a personal phone call from Mary Beth, inviting them to participate in a free, CDC-recognized diabetes prevention program.


 

Education & Training

22.3:1 ROI

for KL2 Scholars 

97%

KL2 Graduates with a PI Grant Submission 

27%

TL1 Research focused on Special Populations

Central to the CCTS mission is preparing the next generation of clinical and translational researchers and supporting faculty in career development. We offer a spectrum of education and training programs ranging from professional to undergraduate levels. 


 

Focus on Health Disparities & Special Populations

54%

of CCTS Service Requests Related to Health Disparities in 2019

42.8%

of CCTS Service Requests Related to Special Populations

29%

of CCTS Pilot Awards Related to Health Disparities or Special Populations

We are committed to addressing the health disparities of Central Appalachia and affecting equitable, inclusive improvements in health. Learn more about our Community Engagement and Research Core and our Integrated Special Populations Core.  

The metrics above are based on data extracted from CCTS Service Request Forms.  Health disparities include cancer, diabetes/obesity, cardiovascular disease/stroke, and substance use disorder. Special populations include aging/elderly, pediatric, rural/Appalachia, under-represented minorities, disadvantaged backgrounds, and LGBTQ.


 

Impact of Publications

3,308 Publications

147 Researchers

39,453 Citations

Influential Publications: Field-Weighted Citation Impact of 1.59

A notable finding in scholarship tracking emanated from the implementation of SciVal at the University of Kentucky, which was partially supported by the CCTS, and driven by the Tracking and Evaluation (T&E) Core in conjunction with the Office of the Vice President for Research.   The T&E Core examination of bibliometric indicators for CCTS pilot program awardees between 2012 and 2017 indicated robust publication productivity among this group, and a Field-Weighted Citation Impact of 1.59, indicating that publication outputs have been cited 59% more often than expected, a robust indicator of influence. See selected recent publications here. »


 

High Quality Services

90%

of CCTS Users Would Recommend Us

1343

Average Annual Inpatient Visits

1,050+

Members of the UK CCTS

Empowering the Process of Discovery

The CCTS offers a broad spectrum of services and resources to support research from study design to study close-out. 

 

Graphic results of 2019 Investigator Satisfaction Survey