509 Pilot Projects as Catalysts for Research Initiatives

Abstract

OBJECTIVES/GOALS: Pilot grants are small financial investments given out by CTSA hubs to facilitate new clinical and translational research projects. The New Jersey Alliance of Clinical and Translational Science (NJ ACTS) is one of 65 CTSA hubs. The goal of this project was to evaluate and improve the NJ ACTS program by learning from pilot programs across the consortium. METHODS/STUDY POPULATION: The initial research on pilot programs was conducted using the CTSA Search Solutions tool, a tool developed at NJ ACTS which provides links to individual pages by topic in all the hub websites. Using the tool, public information was accessed, including common award amounts, significant dates, and preferred categories of research. Then, a survey created in REDCap was distributed to colleagues at all CTSA hubs to gather additional information and thoughts on pilot programs. The data were compiled in an excel database to observe and analyze trends. These trends were graphically presented in figures developed from the data to see how NJ ACTS compares to other CTSA hubs in how they focus and operate their pilot programs. RESULTS/ANTICIPATED RESULTS: There are both similarities and differences between NJ ACTS and other hubs. NJ ACTS utilizes a REDCap form for its application, as do 14 other CTSA hubs. Surveys also show that NJ ACTS follows similar processes for: letter of intent and application due dates; having a standing review committee; and the categories of awards. Award categories for Clinical/Translational Innovation, Methodology/Infrastructure, and Partnership/Collaboration are shared with 47, 25, and 41 institutions, respectively. NJ ACTS requires collaboration between its multiple institutions, as do 28 other hubs. It does not, however, have a public notification of award date, and notifications tend to go out relatively late. NJ ACTS funded multiple proposals pertaining to COVID-19, something 11 other CTSA hubs did as well. DISCUSSION/SIGNIFICANCE: Although a new CTSA hub, NJ ACTSs Pilot Program operates comparably to more mature CTSA hubs. Using the survey data, NJ ACTS can implement modest changes, better serving its scientific community. CTSA Search Solutions has proven an excellent tool and can be used by any hub to understand how they compare and implement changes to improve their programs.