NCATS Biennial Report 2021-2022

Joni L. Rutter, Ph.D.

At NCATS, our mission is to turn research observations into health solutions through translational science. We define translational science as “the field that generates scientific and operational innovations to solve long-standing challenges along the translational research pipeline.” Since NCATS’ beginning in 2011, we have successfully overcome many research bottlenecks through our programs and initiatives.

The NCATS team’s successes spring from our organizational culture. We value innovation, collaboration, and acceleration, and our patient-driven focus is ever-present. Our programs are nimble and can pivot quickly to address public health emergencies. We creatively leverage our resources to address high-level needs across all diseases. And because the needs far exceed the scope of any one organization, we employ team science to share ideas, knowledge, and expertise.

In 2021, our staff identified an initial set of principles that characterize effective approaches for translation. The principles stem in part from in-depth case studies of successful NCATS-supported activities that addressed scientific and operational processes to make the research faster, more efficient, and more impactful.

The stories we share in this report show the translational science principles in action for an array of translational research problems we addressed in 2021–2022. As you will read, the principles shaped our approaches to tackling rare diseases, COVID-19, and the toxic effects of drugs. I am certain they will inspire us to find solutions for whatever comes next.

Joni L. Rutter, Ph.D.
Director
National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences