The National Institutes of Health has awarded a new five-year, $51 million grant to a team of Georgia research universities to further advance bench-to-bedside clinical and translational science.

The grant is a renewal of previous funding from the NIH that established the Atlanta Clinical & Translational Science Institute, a 10-year partnership between Emory University, Morehouse School of Medicine and the Georgia Institute of Technology. With the new funding, the University of Georgia joins the existing team, which now plans to expand its focus statewide under the new partnership name, the Georgia Clinical & Translational Science Alliance.

"Continuing such an alliance and involving these leading state institutions is extremely important and in line with Georgia's goals for the promotion of clinical and translational research, innovation and development," said Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal. "Having an active Clinical & Translational Science Alliance awardee in Georgia has brought our citizens cutting-edge cures and the latest in clinical and translational research."

The Emory-led Georgia CTSA will use the combined strengths of its academic partners to transform the quality and value of clinical research, and to translate research results into better outcomes for patients. Georgia CTSA is one of only 64 Clinical and Translational Science Alliance awards at major academic medical centers across the country funded by the National Institutes of Health's National Center for Advancing Translational Science. It is currently the only CTSA in Georgia.

"This exciting partnership is a great example of how research universities in Georgia can work together to improve lives and communities across the state," said UGA President Jere W. Morehead. "As a land-grant institution with a dynamic research enterprise, the University of Georgia is well positioned to help this critical alliance expand its positive impact."

UGA has a proven track record of outstanding basic and translational research and, as the state's land-grant institution, offers a robust statewide network that enhances community outreach, service and research. Emory is a national leader in health care and biomedical research as well as an outstanding leader in clinical and translational research training and education. Morehouse School of Medicine is a nationally recognized historically black institution that brings ethnic diversity to biomedical research, addresses health disparities through successful community engagement research, and serves as a pipeline for training minority researchers. Georgia Tech is a national leader in biomedical engineering and the application of innovative systems engineering to health care solutions.

"The addition of UGA provides the Georgia CTSA a state-wide footprint to connect with every county in the state to address health and wellness needs, particularly in rural and underserved populations," said Bradley G. Phillips, UGA's CTSA principal investigator and the Millikan-Reeve Professor of Pharmacy at UGA. "As a new member of the Georgia CTSA, faculty and students across our campus will have unique support and infrastructure that builds upon current capabilities and increases our trajectory in fostering clinical and translational science in the state and beyond."