Tufts Clinical and Translational Science Institute

What Tufts Clinical and Translational Science Institute does

Tufts Clinical and Translational Science Institute (Tufts CTSI) is a Boston-based non-profit academic research institute founded in 2008/2009 as a federally designated Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA) hub under NIH's National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (Award UM1TR004398). It provides comprehensive research-support infrastructure across clinical trials, biomedical informatics, biostatistics and epidemiology (BERD Center), regulatory affairs, dissemination and implementation science, community engagement, and biospecimen access. The institute serves academic and clinical investigators, clinical research staff, community stakeholders, and health-innovation entrepreneurs across roughly 40 medical, academic, industry, and community partners and 100+ faculty from 17 partner institutions, with named core partners including Tufts Medical Center, Tufts University School of Medicine, MIT Center for Clinical and Translational Research, and Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research.

Its core technology stack includes REDCap (Research Electronic Data Capture) for clinical study data capture, the I LEARN online learning management platform for clinical research training, and Tufts CTSI Profiles for collaborator discovery. It also operates specialized programs including S-GATS (Small Grants to Advance Translational Science, up to $50K), Pilot Studies grants, K Scholar career development awards (KL2, BIRCWH), the Blue Star Investigator Certificate Program, the Clinical and Translational Science Graduate Program, and the recently launched Innovate2Impact series culminating in the Impact Launchpad pitch competition with up to $50K in funding.

Tufts CTSI does not generate commercial revenue. It is funded primarily through NIH CTSA grants, most recently a $78.4 million seven-year award in June 2023 (up from $56 million in 2018), supplemented by individual investigator grants (e.g., a $3.7M award to Benjamin Wessler in September 2025) and institutional support from Tufts University and Tufts Medical Center. Services are delivered to researchers at no direct cost through service requests, education programs, and grant mechanisms. The institute's go-to-market is event-driven and community-driven, relying on the Tufts CTSI Happenings newsletter, social media, symposia (Translational Science Day, Innovation Expo), and the I LEARN platform to reach researchers across its partner network.

Name

Tufts Clinical and Translational Science Institute

Legal name

Tufts Clinical and Translational Science Institute

Website

https://tuftsctsi.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Tufts Clinical and Translational Science Institute is a Boston-based NIH-funded CTSA hub providing clinical trials, biostatistics, informatics, regulatory, and training services to academic and clinical researchers across a network of nearly 40 partner institutions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Clinical Research Services

NAICS

Scientific Research and Development Services (5417), Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (54171), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Clinical Research Support (CRC/CTA) (EDAOAJAO)

akta.pro secondary industries

Clinical Trial Management Systems (CTMS) (HLACAOAD), Career & Technical Education (CTE) & Trade Skills Media (EDAGALAG)

Keywords

• Clinical research services
• Translational science support
• Biomedical informatics
• Clinical trial support
• Research training programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Boston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. NIH Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA): Tufts CTSI receives substantial NIH funding through the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS). In June 2023, the institute received a $78.4 million NIH grant to support research, education, and health initiatives over seven years. This grant supports enhancing collaboration, translating research into clinical practice, and addressing health disparities with focus on innovation and community impact.
2. Pilot Studies and Grant Programs: Tufts CTSI administers various grant programs including Pilot Studies Program, Small Grants to Advance Translational Science (S-GATS up to $50K), career development awards (KL2, BIRCWH), and other funding opportunities. From 2009-2022, the institute awarded 119 Pilot Studies grants generating over $59M in subsequently funded research.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Tufts CTSI provides research support services, training, and funding programs that accelerate clinical and translational science across its partner institutions. Offerings span biomedical informatics, clinical trial design and management, biostatistics and epidemiology consultation, regulatory and community engagement support, graduate and certificate education, and pilot/career-development grant mechanisms.

Product overview

Tufts CTSI operates as a research services organization providing a comprehensive suite of services, training, tools, and funding opportunities to accelerate clinical and translational research. The organization functions as a platform combining multiple service areas including research services (BHDSC, Center for Clinical Trials, BERD Center, biospecimen repository), education programs (I LEARN platform, graduate programs, certificate programs, career development awards), funding mechanisms (S-GATS grants up to $50K, pilot studies), and innovation support (Innovate2Impact program). Key tools include REDCap for electronic data capture and Tufts CTSI Profiles for collaborator discovery. The infrastructure is funded primarily by NIH (Award Number UM1TR004398) and serves a network of nearly 40 partner institutions across medical, academic, industry, and community sectors.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• I LEARN: Online learning platform offering courses and educational resources for clinical and translational research training
• Innovate2Impact
• Impact Launchpad
• S-GATS
• Tufts CTSI Happenings

Products and services

• I LEARN
• REDCap (Research Electronic Data Capture)
• Biomedical and Health Data Sciences Collaborative (BHDSC)
• Center for Clinical Trials (CCT)
• Biostatistics, Epidemiology, and Research Design (BERD) Center
• Kaiser Permanente Biospecimen Repository
• Innovate2Impact
• Small Grants to Advance Translational Science (S-GATS)
• Clinical and Translational Science Graduate Program
• K Scholar Programs (KL2/K12/BIRCWH)
• Health Economics and Outcomes Research (HEOR) Certificate Program
• Blue Star Investigator Certificate Program
• Impact Launchpad Pitch Competition

Quantifiable outcome

• 119 Pilot Studies grants awarded from 2009-2022 generated $59M+ in subsequently funded research
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Tufts Medical CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary academic medical center partner hosting the Tufts Clinical and Translational Research Center. Tufts CTSI works with Tufts Medical Center to provide clinical research infrastructure and support patient enrollment in clinical studies.
• Kaiser Permanente Center for Health ResearchcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner institution contributing to the biospecimen repository and collaborative research initiatives. Provides access to Kaiser Permanente's research infrastructure and population health data resources.
• Auster Center for Applied Innovation and Research at Tufts UniversityminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor of the Innovate2Impact program supporting health innovation and entrepreneurship. Contributes to funding and mentorship opportunities for health-related innovations.
• Northeastern University College of Professional StudiesminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor of the Innovate2Impact program, supporting the translation of health innovations through collaboration and educational resources.
• Northeastern University Biopharmaceutical Analysis Training LaboratoryminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCollaborating partner providing expertise in biopharmaceutical analysis and training for the Innovate2Impact program.
• Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing academic partner in clinical and translational research. MIT Center for Clinical and Translational Research collaborates on research initiatives, training programs, and innovation support.
• Hood Pediatric Innovation HubminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor of Innovate2Impact program supporting pediatric health innovation and entrepreneurship initiatives.
• Tufts University School of MedicinecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary academic partner providing faculty expertise, educational programs (Clinical and Translational Science Graduate Program), and research collaboration across multiple departments.
• Asian Women for HealthminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partner in the ADAPT (Addressing Disparities in Asian Populations through Translational Research) coalition, working on health equity and community-engaged research.
• Museum of Science, BostonminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborates on public forums and educational events addressing health topics, including nutrition guidance, personalized medicine, and AAPI mental health.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Harvard Catalyst: Harvard University's CTSA-funded clinical and translational science hub, serving Harvard-affiliated hospitals and researchers in the Boston/Cambridge area. Most direct peer given shared federal CTSA funding model, overlapping Boston geography, and similar service portfolio spanning biostatistics, informatics, and pilot funding.
• Yale Center for Clinical Investigation (YCCI): Yale's CTSA-funded institute providing translational research infrastructure, training programs, and pilot funding to investigators. Comparable as another NCATS CTSA hub with a similar academic-medical-center partnership model and service mix.
• MIT Center for Clinical and Translational Research: MIT's clinical and translational research hub and an existing Tufts CTSI partner institution. Directly comparable in CTSA-aligned mission, biomedical data sciences focus, and training offerings, with overlapping Boston-area catchment.
• Boston University Clinical and Translational Science Institute (BU CTSI): BU's NCATS-funded translational science institute serving Boston-area researchers with similar CTSA-aligned services in biostatistics, clinical trials, and pilot funding. A direct in-region peer competing for the same investigator pool.
• Columbia University Irving Institute for Clinical and Translational Research: Columbia's CTSA hub providing translational research support, training, and pilot grants across the Columbia/NewYork-Presbyterian ecosystem. Closely comparable as a peer CTSA institute with equivalent service offerings.
• University of Pennsylvania Institute for Translational Medicine and Therapeutics (ITMAT): Penn's CTSA-supported translational medicine institute offering education, pilot funding, and research support services. Comparable in scope and CTSA funding model to Tufts CTSI.
• Duke Clinical and Translational Science Institute: Duke's NCATS CTSA hub offering biostatistics, informatics, regulatory, and pilot study support. Comparable as a CTSA-funded translational research institute with a similar academic medical center anchor.
• Vanderbilt Institute for Clinical and Translational Research (VICTR): Vanderbilt's CTSA institute providing research support, learning platforms, and pilot funding. Comparable as a CTSA-funded translational research hub with mature learning management and REDCap-style infrastructure.
• Northwestern University Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute (NUCATS): Northwestern's CTSA institute offering translational science support across the Chicago academic medical ecosystem. Comparable in mission, funding model, and services.

Emerging players

• REDCap Consortium (Vanderbilt): Vanderbilt-led open-source consortium that develops and distributes the REDCap electronic data capture platform that Tufts CTSI hosts. Relevant as a technology peer and ecosystem dependency for Tufts CTSI's research informatics offering.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/tuftsctsi
• Facebookfacebook.com/TuftsCTSI
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/tufts-clinical-and-translational-science-institute-ctsi-

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Tufts Clinical and Translational Science Institute