# Frontiers Clinical and Translational Science Institute at the University of Kansas

> **NIH NIH UL1** · UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS MEDICAL CENTER · 2024 · $3,817,944

## Abstract

Contact PD/PI: Castro, Mario
 OVERALL PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT
The Frontiers Clinical and Translational Science Institute at the University of Kansas (Frontiers) has been a
catalyst for clinical and translational research (CTR) across the Kansas City region. The vision of Frontiers 3.0
is to transform the way we do CTR and ensure that research is rapidly translated to the point of care in a way
that improves health for underserved and excluded populations, especially those in rural communities. To do
so, we have expanded Frontiers 3.0 partners to include multiple academic institutions, healthcare systems, and
community organizations and patient advocacy groups across Kansas and western Missouri. Our new shared
leadership structure balances power across institutions. The overall aims of Frontiers are:
Aim 1. Train a diverse workforce that leverages multiple disciplines, frameworks and approaches to
stimulate creative, responsive and impactful T1-T4 clinical and translational research.
Frontiers cores and its KL2 and TL1 programs provide high quality training, assistance in research design and
implementation, guidance in applying for grants, and support for career advancement for all levels translational
research trainees. In Frontiers 3.0 we emphasize identifying and supporting investigators from
underrepresented groups and those with a research focus on underserved and excluded populations.
Aim 2. Collaborate and engage with underserved and excluded communities to ensure that clinical and
translational research is responsive to their priorities and achieves greater health equity.
Frontiers 3.0 hosts Design Studios, Fieldwork Nano-experiences, Story-telling sessions, Community Co-
Investigator Human Subjects Training and Conferences to support collaborations between researchers and
patients, communities, and stakeholders. New advisory groups of community partners and community-
engaged researchers provide guidance at all levels of Frontiers decisionmaking. We expand our novel efforts
to understand and address COVID-19 across the lifespan and among underserved and excluded groups.
Aim 3. Drive innovative, quality, and efficient clinical and translational research across the lifespan that
harnesses novel informatics, genomics, team science and implementation methods to enhance
delivery of high-quality healthcare in the region.
Frontiers reduces barriers to entering CTR by providing unparalleled comprehensive support that minimizes
regulatory burden and expedites research. New cores provide entre to tools and data for pursuing genomic
medicine and help investigators access and analyse rich datasets available via clinical informatics. New
leadership in Team Science will map investigator networks, identify gaps, and introduce individual and team-
level interventions to help investigators build and maintain effective teams.
Frontiers will accelerate CTR in the Midwest and build a workforce that attends to health priorities for the rural,
underserved, an...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10929307
- **Project number:** 5UL1TR002366-08
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS MEDICAL CENTER
- **Principal Investigator:** Mario Castro
- **Activity code:** UL1 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $3,817,944
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2017-09-07 → 2027-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10929307

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10929307, Frontiers Clinical and Translational Science Institute at the University of Kansas (5UL1TR002366-08). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10929307. Licensed CC0.

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